West Bengal election: Congress urges NCP and RJD to not campaign for TMC

Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP  from West Bengal, Pradip Bhattacharya has written to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, requesting them not to campaign for the Trinamool Congress in the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections, as per sources. 

"In West Bengal, the Indian National Congress (INC) is fighting a political battle against the ruling Trinamool Congress, and your presence as Star Campaigners will create confusion among the /common voters of West Bengal," Bhattacharya wrote in the letters. 

This comes after regional party leaders who serve as political opponents to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the centre as well as in their respective States, not only pledged to support the TMC and Mamata Banerjee in her fight against the party but also gave a nod to campaign for her before the upcoming Bengal assembly polls. 

West Bengal elections 2021

The West Bengal Assembly with 294 seats will also go to the polls from March 27, 2021. CM Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress holds 222 seats at present. However, BJP has made major inroads in the state in the Lok Sabha elections winning 18 seats out of 42 and establishing itself as the major opposition force in the state. The BJP is using its booth-level strategy and has regularly dispatched its top leaders including Amit Shah and JP Nadda in the state for winning the upcoming elections, with the Prime Minister also addressing mega-rallies there in recent weeks. The party has also been inducting a number of major TMC leaders on a regular basis and plans to hold at least 1500 rallies and assorted road-shows in total. 

Elections in West Bengal will be held in 8 phases across 1,01,916 polling stations, announced the EC. The counting of votes will take place on May 2. 

• 1st phase- 30 constituencies. Date of polling- March 27
• 2nd phase- 30 constituencies. Date of polling- April 1
• 3rd phase- 31 constituencies. Date of polling- April 6
• 4th phase- 44 constituencies. Date of polling- April 10
• 5th phase- 45 constituencies. Date of polling- April 17
• 6th phase- 43 constituencies. Date of polling- April 22
• 7th phase- 36 constituencies. Date of polling- April 26
• 8th phase- 35 constituencies. Date of polling- April 29