First phase voting begins for West Bengal & Assam assembly elections

Voting for the first phase of assembly elections in 18 constituencies in West Bengal and 65 in Assam have begun today. This phase, the first, of elections is crucial for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Assam, as these areas, largely in upper Assam, are mostly populated by the Hindu majority in a state that has the second highest Muslim population in India. Most of the constituencies in West Bengal that will go to polls are in areas affected by Naxalite violence, called the Jangalmahal areas.

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal will contest for the BJP from Majuli. Tarun Gogoi, who has been the Congress chief minister thrice, will try his luck for a fourth time, this time from from Titabor. Sonowal has been named the BJP's chief ministerial candidate, should the party come to power. The Congress has named Gogoi as its CM nominee.

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The BJP had won seven Parliamentary constituencies in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Four of these constituencies will vote on Monday and it is crucial for the BJP to sweep the first phase to win the state. In West Bengal, voting for Pashchim Medinipur, Purulia and Bankura will take place on Monday. Security operations have attempted to drive out the Maoists. But West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had leveraged on the return of militancy to the region during her campaigning. Last week, she said Jangalmahal would be on fire if the Opposition came to power. "Remember, if you allow them to come back to power, Jangalmahal will again be on fire. There will again be blood-letting. Jangalmahal will see unrest," Banerjee had said at an election rally in Silda, Paschim Medinipur district.

Jangalmahal is a continuous stretch of forest across Bankura, Paschim Medinipur and Purulia districts.

Taking pot shots at the new- found bonhomie between the Left Front and Congress, Banerjee said: "They have become great friends now. The Congress has sold its Tricolour to the CPI(M). The CPI(M) has sold its red flag to the Congress," she said.

Banerjee's remarks came as Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi said that if the Left parties and the Congress got the numbers in West Bengal, they would help each other form the government.

The high-voltage election will see unprecedented levels of security, both in Assam and Bengal.

Speaking at a press conference in Kolkata before the campaigning ended, CPI(M) leader Surjya Kant Mishra said: "Junglemahal is prepared to defeat Trinamul. This will set the tone for people to inflict a crushing blow to the ruling party in the remaining election phases. I urge the people to transform this election into a festival by coming out and voting. The chief minister will become the ex-chief minister on the day of the results (May 19). The huge support we are getting at our election meetings has unnerved the chief minister. I urge our men to guard booths and put up resistance if there's any malpractice. Keep in mind that we will win. So, leave no stone unturned."