As the 18th Lok Sabha elections approach, the Diamond Harbour constituency prepares to cast its votes on Jun 01. Twelve candidates are in the fray, including Abhishek Banerjee, a prominent leader of the ruling party, and Pratik Ur Rahaman, a young candidate with a clean image. The BJP, with its incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has emerged as a strong contender, while the Congress struggles to regain lost ground. However, with the opposition parties banding together, it remains to be seen who will emerge victorious in this fierce political battle. Keep following #Decision2024 for all the latest updates and analysis on the upcoming elections.
The final phase of Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal was marred by sporadic incidents of violence, primarily between the Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party. Though the Election Commission claimed a peaceful process, 1,450 complaints were received of EVM malfunctions and agents being stopped from entering booths. In the first two hours of polling, only 28.10 per cent of 1.63 crore voters exercised their franchise. Meanwhile, clashes broke out between TMC and ISF supporters in Bhangar, with allegations of crude bombs being hurled and police intervention and lathi charges following suit.
After much speculation and debate, BJP announced its candidate for the Asansol constituency in West Bengal for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The party has chosen former Union Minister S.S. Ahluwalia, who won the Bardhaman-Durgapur seat in 2019 but with a narrow margin. This time, BJP is also fielding its former state president Dilip Ghosh from Bardhaman-Durgapur. With this announcement, BJP has now named candidates for 41 out of 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, with the exception of the high-profile Diamond Harbour constituency.