Tamil Nadu, West Bengal elections: Campaigning ends, key battle lines drawn
MK Stalin, Mamata Banerjee lead final push as polling in TN and first phase in Bengal set for April 23
With the campaigning for the Tamil Nadu elections and the first phase of polling in West Bengal concluding on Tuesday, the stage is set for a high-stakes battle in the two states.
Chief ministers MK Stalin of the DMK and Mamata Banerjee of the TMC, who are eyeing a second and fourth straight terms in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, respectively, personally led the campaign while the NDA camp saw high-powered rallies by star campaigners led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president Nitin Nabin.
The final day of campaigning laid the ground for a tense face-off as both states braced for a decisive fight on April 23.
While the southern state goes to the polls in a single phase for the 234 Assembly seats, West Bengal will witness its first phase polling for 152 of the 294 seats on April 23.
In a last-minute appeal to voters, Stalin urged the people of the state to exercise their democratic right, reminding them of his government’s work over the past five years and its efforts to “elevate Tamil Nadu to the number one state across all sectors.” “Think and vote! Support the candidates of the Secular Progressive Alliance,” he said, making a final push for support as the campaigning came to a close.
The contest is shaping up as a direct face-off between two strong alliances — the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, headed by MK Stalin, and the AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance under K Palaniswami — setting the stage for a closely fought and high-stakes battle.
Meanwhile, actor-turned-politician Vijay, who is making his electoral debut, and his party — the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) — have also joined the contest, adding a new dimension to what is now shaping up as a triangular electoral battle.
The ruling DMK brought in actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan, leader of the Makkal Needhi Maiam, to campaign for the party and counter Vijay.
Key Tamil Nadu candidates in the election fray include MK Stalin, Udhayanidhi Stalin, Edappadi K Palaniswami and actor Vijay.
The first phase in West Bengal features several high-profile candidates, including BJP leaders Suvendu Adhikari, Nitish Pramanik, Dilip Ghosh and Agnimitra Paul, alongside Congress candidates Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Humayun Kabir.
