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Bengal Polls Final Phase: 3.2 Crore Voters to Decide Fate of 1,448 Candidates

Over 3.2 crore voters will decide the fate of 1,448 candidates in the final phase of West Bengal assembly elections across 142 constituencies. The polls, scheduled for April 29, will cover six districts and Kolkata under unprecedented security cover. A total of 2,407 companies of central forces have been deployed, with webcasting at all polling stations. The results for this crucial phase will be declared on May 4.

Key Points: Bengal Polls Final Phase: 3.2 Cr Voters, 1,448 Candidates

  • 142 constituencies across 7 districts go to polls
  • 1,448 candidates in fray, highest 15 in Bhangar
  • 2,407 companies of central forces deployed
  • Webcasting at all polling stations, results on May 4
3 min read

Over 3.2 crore voters to decide fate of 1,448 candidates in Bengal polls' final phase

Over 3.2 crore voters will decide the fate of 1,448 candidates in the final phase of West Bengal assembly polls on April 29, under unprecedented security.

"The second phase of the Assembly polls will be conducted under unprecedented security cover - West Bengal CEO"

Kolkata, April 28

The stage is now set for polling in the 142 Assembly constituencies scattered across six districts in West Bengal as well as the state capital of Kolkata on April 29, under unprecedented security cover.​

Polling parties have already dispatched to their respective polling stations with EVMs, VVPATs and other polling materials for the second phase of polls in the state.

The total number of registered electors in these 142 Assembly constituencies, as per the records of the Election Commission of India (ECI) is 3,21,73,837, which is nearly 64 per cent of the total population of 5,00,13,786 in all those Assembly constituencies.

Of the 3,21,73,837 registered electors, 1,64,35,627 are male voters, 1,57,37,418 are female voters, and 792 are third gender voters.

Electors Photo Identity Cards (EPICs) have been provided to all the 3,21,73,837 registered electors, as per the information passed on by the office of the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO).

​The number of voters aged 100 years or above is 3,243, while the number of voters aged 85 or above is 1,96,801. There are a total of 146 Non Resident Indian (NRI) voters, and 39,961 are service voters.

A total of 1,448 candidates are in the fray for these 142 Assembly constituencies, which will go to the polls in the second phase on April 29.​

The number of male candidates is 1,228, while the number of female candidates is 220. ​There is not a single third gender candidate.

Of the 142 Assembly constituencies going for polls on April 29, 107 are in the general category, while 34 constituencies are reserved for the Scheduled Caste (SC) and one reserved for the Scheduled Tribe (ST).

Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district has the highest number of candidates at 15, while Hooghly district has the least number of candidates at five.

Besides the state capital of Kolkata, the other six districts where these 142 Assembly constituencies are scattered over are Nadia, East Burdwan, Hooghly, South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas and Howrah.

In terms of area, Jorasanko Assembly constituency in Kolkata is the smallest Assembly constituency, covering just 3.48 square kilometres, while Kalyani in Nadia district is the largest, covering 135 square kilometres.

Bhatpara in the North 24 Parganas district, has the fewest electors at 1,17,195, while Chuchura in the Hooghly district has the most at 2,75,715.

Of the 142 Assembly constituencies going to the polls on Wednesday, only six have voters between one lakh and 1.5 lakh, 17 have between 1.5 lakh and two lakh, ,while in the remaining 120 constituencies, the number of voters exceeds 2 lakh.

​The total number of polling stations in the second phase is 41,001, of which 39,301 are main polling stations, and 1,700 are auxiliary polling stations.

The second phase of the Assembly polls will be conducted under unprecedented security cover, with the deployment of 2,407 companies of central forces, including Central Armed Police Forces, the India Reserve Battalion, and personnel from armed police wings of other states, in addition to personnel from West Bengal Police and Kolkata Police.

​There will be webcasting at all polling stations. The results will be declared on May 4.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Interesting to see the gender breakdown - nearly equal male and female voters. But zero third gender candidates is disappointing. We need more inclusive representation in Indian politics. Also, 15 candidates in Bhangar sounds like a circus!
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Amitabh S
Bengal elections are always a spectacle! 1,448 candidates for 142 seats - matlab kuch bhi? But the real issue is whether central forces can ensure free and fair voting. Last time there were allegations. Hope EC does a better job now. Ab dekhte hain kiska haath upar jaata hai!
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Priyanka N
The fact that Jorasanko is only 3.48 sq km while Kalyani is 135 sq km shows the diversity in Bengal's constituencies. Also great to see 220 women candidates - that's progress! But 107 general seats and only 34 SC / 1 ST seats seems unbalanced for Bengal's demographics.
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James A
Webcasting at all polling stations is a good step for transparency. But 2,407 companies of central forces for just one phase? That seems excessive. India has multiple states voting - resources should be balanced. Also, only 146 NRI voters out of 3.2 crore is alarmingly low. Why aren't NRIs engaged?
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Suresh O
As a Bengali, I'm cautiously optimistic. The security is needed because Bengal has seen violence. But I wish the focus was more on issues like development, jobs, and education rather than just law and order. 3,243 voters aged 100+ are a reminder of how old this democracy is. Let's all vote responsibly!

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