From 34 years of Left Front rule to the last 15 years under Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress, West Bengal has witnessed a major political shift over decades. The question now is whether the eastern state will see another change of guard or if Mamata's 'Joy Bangla' clarion call will sway Bengalis on May 4.
Battle for Bengal
The Bharatiya Janata Party went all out to bring what they termed 'poriborton' (change) in the state, which was equally matched by Mamata and her party with their call to voters to preserve what the incumbent government called the Bengali 'asmita' (identity). Amid all the political see-saw, the state saw perhaps the most volatile shakeup in the form of the controversial special intensive revision of electoral rolls, which also left out lakhs of voters, unable to exercise their voting rights.
Counting Day Arrangements
Votes will be counted from 8 am across 77 centres for 293 assembly seats in the state amid unprecedented security deployment this time. The two-phase polls in the state ended on April 29, with its highest-ever voter turnout of 92.47 per cent since Independence. The election was countermanded in one constituency - Falta - in South 24 Parganas district due to "severe electoral offences" and fresh polls will be held there on May 21.
Watch this space as we bring you live updates from the counting!
