West Bengal Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 4: Voting date, seats, candidates and other details; check full schedule here

Eight constituencies in West Bengal are gearing up for the fourth phase of voting in the Lok Sabha election on May 13. The constituencies are Baharampur, Krishnanagar, Ranaghat, Bardhaman Purba, Burdwan-Durgapur, Asansol, Bolpur and Birbhum.

West Bengal contributes 42 seats to the Lok Sabha, or the Lower House. Voters from the state have already cast their votes in three phases of voting on April 19, April 26, and May 7.

The fight in West Bengal is mainly amongst three forces – the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and a coalition of the Left Front and the Indian National Congress. These parties are vying to secure the maximum number of seats from the state, aiming to play a significant role in shaping the future direction and policies of the country.

In the previous election in 2019, the AITC emerged as the dominant power in West Bengal, clinching 22 of the 42 seats. The BJP managed to secure a solid foothold with 18 seats, thus marking its significant rise in the state traditionally ruled by the AITC and Left Front. On the other hand, the Indian National Congress had to settle with a paltry share of 2 seats.

Check out the key candidates and constituencies here:

Krishnanagar- Just four months after being expelled from the Lok Sabha due to alleged involvement in a "cash for query" scandal, Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra is seeking re-election for her former seat in Krishnanagar. In response to this, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced Amrita Roy, fondly known as "Rajmata" (Queen Mother), as its candidate. Roy became a member of the BJP on March 20th, earlier this year.

Krishnanagar is no stranger to the Trinamool Congress' influence. The party has successfully won the seat in three consecutive Lok Sabha elections in 2009, 2014 and 2019. Moitra, a prominent figure within the party, is no doubt seen as a strong contender to regain the seat.

Mahua Moitra's expulsion came amidst allegations of her involvement in a "cash for query" case, where she was accused of taking money in exchange for asking questions in parliament. However, the Trinamool Congress continues to stand by its representative, expressing their belief in Moitra's innocence.

The BJP's entrant, Roy, has been affectionately referred to as “Rajmata”, due to her authoritative demeanor and charismatic appeal to the common people. She is a newly minted member of BJP, having joined the party formally on March 20th earlier this year. 

Asansol- Asansol is witnessing an intense political struggle in the upcoming elections. The battle is primarily being played out between two formidable candidates - Trinamool Congress's Shatrughan Sinha and BJP's Surendrajeet Singh Ahluwalia.

Asansol shares its border with the state of Jharkhand and hosts a substantial Hindi-speaking populace. Many of these people happen to be the migrant workers hailing from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

The city has recently been a stronghold of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), spearheaded by the charismatic Mamata Banerjee. An analysis of the results from the 2021 assembly elections reveals that TMC emerged victorious in five out of the seven segments. 

However, the political landscape of Asansol is not one-directional. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BJP's Babul Supriyo emerged as triumphant from this very constituency, showcasing the support BJP has garnered in the region.
 

Baharampur- The Baharampur seat has traditionally been seen as a stronghold of the Indian National Congress, with its MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury representing the seat since 1999 until present. However, this election promises new rivalries and potential shake-ups, as Trinamool Congress throws its hat into the ring with their candidate, Yusuf Pathan, who will make his first foray into politics in this election.

Meanwhile, the BJP have put forth their own contender for the seat, with Nirmal Kumar Saha hoping to make inroads into what has been historically a Congress bastion.

Bardhaman-Durgapur- The constituency has elected representatives from CPI(M), Trinamool, and BJP once each to the Lok Sabha in the last three elections. This time, BJP's Dilip Ghosh is up against Trinamool's Kirti Azad, a former India cricketer, and the Left-Congress alliance's Sukriti Ghoshal.

Voting will happen in stages on May 20, May 25, and June 1. The results will be announced on June 4.