Bengal Polls Phase VI: 43 Constituencies Vote In North & South

43 constituencies go to polls in the sixth phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections on 22 April. These constituencies are spread across the districts of Uttar Dinajpur in North Bengal, and Purba Bardhaman, North 24 Parganas and Nadia in South Bengal.

This phase comes at a time when all political parties in West Bengal and the Election Commission have come under fire for holding rallies in a protracted election amidst the new COVID-19 surge in the country.

Here's all you need to know about this phase.

Mix Of Geographies, Social Groups In Phase VI

All nine seats in Uttar Dinajpur will go to polls in North Bengal, while nine seats in Nadia, seventeen seats in North 24 Parganas and eight seats in Purba Bardhaman will be polling.

Different and interesting geographies, and social groups will vote in these areas.

One such area is the "chicken neck" region in Uttar Dinajpur where constituencies border Bangladesh on one side and Bihar on the other. This region is inhabited by people of various religions and ethnicities.

On the other hand, in North 24 Parganas, constituencies like Barrackpore and Bhatpara, on the banks of the Hooghly river, have centuries-old jute mills providing employment to the region.

Other constituencies in the district like Bongaon Uttar, Bongaon Dakshin and some constituencies in Nadia like Krishnanagar Uttar also have a considerable Matua population.

While the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) has been the Trinamool's poll plank against the BJP in the border areas, in constituencies like Katwa, Purbasthali Uttar and Purbasthali Dakshin agrarian issues have dominated the discourse.

Also Read: Bengal: Residents Leave Bhatapara In Anticipation Of Poll Violence

Mukul Roy's Return To Electoral Politics

Of the interesting candidates participating in this phase is the Bharatiya Janata Party's Mukul Roy, who was earlier with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and also Mamata Banerjee's right-hand man.

Roy is contesting from the Krishnanagar Uttar constituency in the Nadia district against the actor Koushani Mukherjee of the TMC.

That apart, the other "celebrity" candidate contesting this phase is actor Raj Chakraborty from Barrackpore.

TMC Minister Jyotipriya Mullick is also contesting from the Habra constituency against senior BJP leader Rahul Sinha.

The results for the West Bengal Assembly elections will be declared on 2 May.

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