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Bengal Polls: The voting for the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly election is underway after weeks of intensified campaigning from all the leading parties. The Kharagpur Sadar, which is also known as 'Mini India' due to its complex demography, is likely to witness a tough contest between the ruling TMC and BJP. While the Mamata Banerjee-led party has fielded Pradip Sarkar, the saffron party has expressed faith in Dilip Ghosh. Along with the BJP and TMC, the railway town is key for other parties too, including Congress and the left forces.
As per the Election Commission, 38 per cent of the voters here are Bengalis and 30 per cent Telugus, and several languages are spoken in the constituency, including Bengali, Hindi, Odia, Marathi, and Punjabi. Dilip Ghosh is relying on his vast experience and familiarity with the seat; however, the contest is not likely to be easy for him, as Trinamool's Pradip Sarkar is portraying himself as "ghorer chhele" (son of the soil).
Ghosh stated that the voters deleted during the SIR process were used by the ruling party for fake voting, adding that the situation has changed this time. "Some genuine voters were deleted too, but because many of these were used for false voting, the TMC won’t be able to do that anymore. This will be an advantage for us," Ghosh was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.
Earlier while campaigning for Sarkar, TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee alleged that the party will continue to work despite disruptions from the railways. "Give 5 years to Pradip. Whether the railways allow us to work or not, we will ensure that Kharagpur transforms with development. The youth will teach Dilip Ghosh a lesson. The government is like a tenant, but the BJP is starting to think of itself as the owner. Earlier, people used to choose the government, but now the BJP is deciding who will be allowed to vote," he stated.
The results for the Bengal Assembly election will be announced on May 4.