TMC, BJP face off in Bengal phase 1 polls; three-way battle in Tamil Nadu

Polling is underway across 152 of West Bengal's 294 constituencies in the first phase, while all 234 seats in Tamil Nadu are voting in a single-day contest. Both states are expected to see pitched poll battles that could reshape regional power equations.

In Short

• West Bengal records 18.7% voter turnout till 9 am; Tamil Nadu logs 17.6%.
• TMC banks on welfare, Bengali identity; BJP pushes illegal infiltration issue
• In Tamil Nadu, DMK vs AIADMK fight disrupted by Vijay’s TVK

After weeks of high-decibel campaigning, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu vote today in Assembly elections. Polling began at 7 am across 152 of West Bengal’s 294 constituencies in the first phase, with the ruling Trinamool Congress locked in a direct contest with the BJP. In Tamil Nadu, all 234 seats are voting in a single-day election, witnessing a three-cornered fight among the ruling DMK, the AIADMK-BJP-led NDA, and Vijay’s TVK.

Several polling booths across West Bengal witnessed long queues in the early hours of voting, with the state recording a turnout of 18.76 per cent till 9 am among nearly 3.6 crore voters. Tamil Nadu is also seeing a steady response, with turnout at 17.69 per cent among around 5.67 crore eligible voters.

1. In Bengal, the contest remains a direct, high-voltage fight between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) led by Mamata Banerjee and the BJP, whose campaign was spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
2. The BJP has mounted an aggressive, nationalist campaign, blending Hindutva messaging with allegations of corruption, illegal infiltration from Bangladesh and governance failures.
3. The TMC, however, has an edge after assailing the saffron party over the controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in the state. It accused the BJP of colluding with the Election Commission of India and even took the fight to the courts. More than 91 lakh names were deleted from Bengal's electoral rolls, and the fates of nearly 62 lakh voters undecided going into the two-phase polls.
4. The Mamata Banerjee-led party is also leaning heavily on welfare schemes like Lakshmir Bhandar, alongside a campaign centred on Bengali identity, projecting itself as a defender of Bengal’s non-vegetarian culture against the BJP’s vegetarian leanings.
5. Both parties have reached out to women in a big way. The BJP has promised women a monthly stipend of Rs 3,000, higher than the TMC’s Rs 2,000. Women voters now number over 3.76 crore in the state, up from the last Lok Sabha polls.
6. Meanwhile, a resurgent Left Front is attempting a comeback, especially in North Bengal and Jungle Mahal. Contesting 252 seats overall, it is focusing on tea garden belts and younger voters in districts such as Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Kalimpong and Jalpaiguri, where the BJP has gained ground in recent years.
7. Key battles to watch are Nandigram, where Suvendu Adhikari is looking to retain the prestige seat he won by defeating Mamata Banerjee in 2021. In Berhampore, Congress veteran Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury is returning to assembly politics after decades. In Mathabhanga, BJP’s Nisith Pramanik aims to consolidate the party’s base.
8. Tamil Nadu presents a more complex, triangular contest. The Dravidian parties of old -- the ruling DMK, led by Chief Minister MK Stalin, and the AIADMK, under Edappadi K Palaniswami, are facing a new challenger in the form of actor-politician Vijay’s TVK.
9. The DMK has framed the election as a referendum on its governance, welfare and federal rights, while the AIADMK is attempting a political comeback, recalibrating after internal churn and alliance shifts with the BJP. The TVK, helmed by the uber-popular star Vijay, has drawn interest from younger and urban voters and positioning itself as an alternative to entrenched Dravidian politics.
10. Key constituencies to watch are Kolathur, where MK Stalin is seeking re-election and Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni, from where his son Udhayanidhi Stalin is contests. Vijay will make his poll debut from two seats -- Tiruchirapalli East and Perambur. EPS is fighting from his home turf Edappadi. His arch-rival O Panneerselvam, who switched from AIADMK to DMK right before the election, will contest from Bodinayakkanur. 

- Ends