"No competition for Mamata Banerjee's leadership in Bengal': TMC MP Shatrughan Sinha

Speaking to the media, the MP said, "The entire world thinks that there is no competition when it comes to Bengal, Mamata Banerjee's leadership and TMC's hold. When the question of Bengal's prestige is raised, the public of Bengal stands united and knows that Mamata Banerjee is the mother, sister and daughter of Bengal."

The West Bengal Assembly election will be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29. Counting of votes for both phases will be conducted on May 4.

As per the ECI, the first phase covering 152 Assembly constituencies will begin with the issuance of the gazette notification on March 30. The last date for filing nominations for this phase is April 6, while scrutiny of nominations will take place on April 7. Candidates will be allowed to withdraw their nominations until April 9. Polling for the first phase will be held on April 23.

For the second phase, which covers 142 Assembly constituencies, the gazette notification will be issued on April 2. Candidates can withdraw their nominations until April 13.

In West Bengal, the Legislative Assembly consists of 294 seats, with the primary contest expected to be between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). TMC, led by Mamata Banerjee, has been in power in the state since 2011.

Like the 2021 Assembly election, this time too Mamata Banerjee is set to contest from the Bhabanipur seat, from where she will face a repeat clash with BJP leader and West Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari. Adhikari had also challenged Mamata from Nandigram in the 2021 West Bengal polls, from where he won by 1956 votes. Following her defeat, the TMC supremo contested the bypoll from Bhabanipur, after MLA Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay resigned from the seat.

The election in 2021 was held in eight phases. TMC won 215 seats, returning to power for a third consecutive term, and BJP won 77. Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (Tamang) won one seat, and Indian Secular Front won one seat. Congress and Left Front had drawn a blank in the polls. The TMC, led by Mamata Banerjee, has been in power in West Bengal since 2011. (ANI)