2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election

2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election

← 2016 27 March – 29 April 2021 (292 seats) 2026 →
292 out of 294 seats in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly 148 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	82.32%
Majority party Minority party Third party   Leader Mamata Banerjee Dilip Ghosh Nawsad Siddique Party AITC BJP ISF Alliance AITC+ NDA Sanjukta Morcha Leader since 1998 2015 2020 Leader's seat Nandigram(lost)[2] Did not Contest Bhangar[1] Last election 44.91% votes 211 seats 10.16 % votes 3 seats n/a 0 seats Seats before 211 3 0 Seats won 213 77 1 Seat change 2 74 1 Popular vote 28,735,420 22,850,710 813,489 Percentage 47.94 % 38.13% 1.35 % Swing 3.03 % 27.97% 1.35 %   Fourth party Fifth party   Leader Surjya Kanta Mishra Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury Party CPI (M) INC Alliance Sanjukta Morcha Sanjukta Morcha Leader since 2015 2020 Leader's seat Did not contest Did not contest Last election 19.75% votes 26 seats 12.25 % votes 44 seats Seats before 26 44 Seats won 0 0 Seat change 26 44 Popular vote 2,837,276 1,757,131 Percentage 4.73% 2.92 % Swing 15.02% 9.33 %
Map of the election results
Seats won in West Bengal Legislative Assembly
Chief Minister before election Mamata Banerjee AITC Chief Minister after election Mamata Banerjee AITC

General election to the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal for 292 constituencies of the 294 constituencies in West Bengal were held between 27 March to 29 April 2021 in 8 phases.^[3] Voting for 2 remaining constituencies was delayed and are scheduled to be held on 16 May 2021.^[4]

Background

Electoral system

Outlined in Article 168 of the Constitution of India, the West Bengal Legislative Assembly is the only house of the unicameral legislature of West Bengal and not a permanent body and subject to dissolution.^[5] The tenure of the Legislative Assembly is five years from the date appointed for its first sitting unless dissolved sooner. Members of the Legislative Assembly are directly elected by the people. The tenure of current West Bengal Legislative Assembly is scheduled to end on 30 May 2021.^[6]

Previous general election

In the previous elections in 2016, the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC or TMC) retained its majority in the Legislative Assembly with 211 seats. The Indian National Congress won 44 seats and the Left Front won 33 seats fighting within an alliance. While the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha managed to win only 3 seats each of the total 294 seats.^[7]

Political developments

In the 2019 general elections AITC won 22 and the BJP won 18 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal.^[8] Bagging 40 percent of the vote share, an increase from the previous time and in by-elections from 2016 to 2021, BJP had also increased their seats in the legislative assembly by 31 as of 2021 through defections from TMC, Congress and Left leaders.^[9] According to various political analysts, the shifting of left and other opposition voters towards the BJP caused the meteoric rise in BJP's vote share.^[10][11][12]

Political issues

COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic became an election issue.^[13][14] The Government of West Bengal was accused of "fudging" the count of positive cases and deaths in the regions.^[15] The AITC-led state government and BJP-led union government blamed each other for the surge in COVID-19 infections over the course of the campaign.^[16]

The BJP accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of not having attended COVID-19 emergency management meetings held during the months of election campaigning, despite the advent of the second wave of infections.^[17]

Cyclone Amphan

Post Cyclone Amphan situation of Deshbandhu park in Kolkata.

In May 2020, Cyclone Amphan hit the state a year before elections.^[18][13] After the passing away of the cyclone, widespread allegations of mismanagement^[19] and relief scam were seen.^[20][21] Protest broke out in various district of the state over these allegations.^[22][23] The opposition made it an election issue ahead of the Assembly polls.^[24][25]

Citizenship, immigration and refugee issues

In 2019, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union Government passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) in the Indian Parliament, promising citizenship to immigrants and refugees belonging from the religious minorities in Bangladesh and hoping to provide them with rehabilitation.^[9][26] The BJP's Bengali booklet released in January 2020 claimed that the National Register of Citizens will be implemented to identify allegedly undocumented illegal Muslim immigrants, but religiously persecuted Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Christian, Jain, Parsi and other religious minorities will be "shielded" by the Citizenship Amendment Act.^[27][28]

Other issues

Polarisation amongst various religious, linguistic and caste communities are also likely to play a role in this election.^[29] Both TMC and BJP have promised schemes for various communities.^[30][31] Although previously mobilized by Left governments against elites under the 'class' narrative, the Dalits of West Bengal have started asserting their identity politically.^[32][33][34] Religious polarization is particularly intense in districts bordering Bangladesh such as North 24 Parganas. Arguments regarding who are native to the state and constituencies are also likely to impact the elections.^[35][36][37] Rebellion and dissatisfaction of many Trinamool leaders are also likely to impact the elections.^[38] Also, from 1 December 2020, the Government of West Bengal has started a scheme of Duare Sarkar, to provide all the major schemes of Government like Swasthya Sathi, Khadya Sathi etc. and got a very high response.^[39][40]

Schedule

The Chief Election Commissioner, Sunil Arora holding a press conference to announce the schedule for Legislative Assembly election of West Bengal along with Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry, in New Delhi on February 26, 2021. The Election Commissioners, Sushil Chandra and Rajiv Kumar and the senior officials of ECI are also seen.

Election schedule were announced on 26 February 2021 and the election was held in 8 phases from 27 March 2021 to 29 April 2021 and votes will be counted on 2 May 2021.^[41][42] Due to polling abnormalities, re-polling for the booth number 88 of Jangipara was held in the fourth phase.^[43] The elections in Jangipur and Samserganj were adjourned due to the death of the Congress candidate in Samserganj and RSP candidate in Jangipur.^[44] A new schedule for the election in these two seats were announced and the polling will be held on 13 May 2021.^[45] However, due to the day being Eid, the voting day was again rescheduled for 16 May.^[46]

Schedule

Poll Event	Phase
	I	II	III	IV	V	VI	VII	VIII	—
Map of constituencies and their phases
No. of Constituencies	30	30	31	44	45	43	34	35	2
Date of Issue of Notification	2 March 2021	5 March 2021	12 March 2021	16 March 2021	23 March 2021	26 March 2021	31 March 2021	31 March 2021	—
Last Date for filling nomination	9 March 2021	12 March 2021	19 March 2021	23 March 2021	30 March 2021	3 April 2021	7 April 2021	7 April 2021	26 April 2021[a]
Scrutiny of nomination	10 March 2021	15 March 2021	20 March 2021	24 March 2021	31 March 2021	5 April 2021	8 April 2021	8 April 2021	27 April 2021[a]
Last Date for Withdrawal of nomination	12 March 2021	17 March 2021	22 March 2021	26 March 2021	3 April 2021	7 April 2021	12 April 2021	12 April 2021	29 April 2021[a]
Date of Poll	27 March 2021	1 April 2021	6 April 2021	10 April 2021	17 April 2021	22 April 2021	26 April 2021	29 April 2021	16 May 2021[46]
Date of Counting of Votes	2 May 2021								19 May 2021[4]
Source: Election Commission of India

Parties and alliances

  Trinamool Congress & Allies

Map of the seat sharing arrangements of the All India Trinamool Congress for the 2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election.

Both factions of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) expressed support to Trinamool Congress for the assembly election.^[49] Trinamool Congress allotted three seats in the Darjiling to GJM, However the two factions of GJM, namely Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (Bimal) and Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (Tamang) declared to field their candidates in each of the three seats.^[50] Shiv Sena also endorsed Trinamool for the election.^[51] Trinamool Congress supported Independent candidate in Joypur after their candidate's nomination got cancelled.^[52][53]

Party			Symbol	Leader	Contesting Seats
	All India Trinamool Congress	AITC		Mamata Banerjee	290
	Gorkha Janmukti Morcha	GJM	Unrecognised	Bimal Gurung Binoy Tamang	3
	Independent	N/A			1

  Sanjukta Morcha

On 28 January 2021 Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury announced that seat-sharing talks between the Congress and Left Front had concluded for 193 seats and that the remaining 101 seats would be decided at a later point.^[54][55] Out of the 193 seats agreed upon by 28 January, 92 went to Congress and 101 to the Left Front.^[54] These 193 seats included agreements over all the 77 seats the Congress and Left Front had won in the 2016 election.^[54] Left Congress and ISF announced that they will fight together in an alliance named as 'Sanyukta Morcha' from Brigade Rally on 28 February 2021.^[56] (It is worth mentioning here that Abbas had also sought an alliance with the TMC, before becoming part of the “Sanjukta Morcha”, with the Congress and Left parties.^[57]) ISF initially claimed that they have secured 30 seats from the Left Front's quota.^[58] After the final seat sharing agreement was concluded, it was announced that the Left Front will contest on 165 seats, Congress will contest on 92 seats and ISF will contest on 37 seats.^[59][60]

Left Front chairman Biman Bose announced candidates for first and second-phase elections on 5 March alongside Congress and ISF leaders leaving seats for them in the list.^[61] Indian National Congress revealed its first list of 13 candidates for the first two phases on 6 March.^[62] Left Front Announced its second list of candidates on 10 March comprising of several new and young faces from AISF, AIYF, SFI and DYFI along with some well-known veteran faces including ex ministers of Left Front govt and ex-MPs.^[63] That day Biman Bose declared DYFI West Bengal state president Minakshi Mukherjee as the CPI(M) candidate for 'High-Profile' Nandigram (Vidhan Sabha constituency) seat which was kept vacant in the first list published on 5 March.^[64] Congress revealed its second list of 34 candidates on 14 March.^[65] ISF released list of their first set of 20 candidates on the same day.^[66] Sanyukta Morcha announced 15 more candidates on 17 March consisting of 9 from the Left, 2 from Congress and 4 from ISF camp.^[67] Congress revealed its third list of 39 candidates on 20 March,^[68] and two more on 22 March.

Map of the seat sharing arrangement between the parties of the Sanjukta Morcha for the 2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election.

Party			Symbol	Leader(s)	Bloc(s)	Contesting Seats
	Communist Party of India (Marxist)	CPI(M)		Surjya Kanta Mishra[69]	Left Front	137
	All India Forward Bloc	AIFB		Debabrata Biswas		18
	Revolutionary Socialist Party	RSP		Biswanath Chowdhury		11
	Communist Party of India	CPI		Swapan Banerjee		10
	Marxist Forward Bloc	MFB		Samar Hazra		1
	Indian National Congress	INC		Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury	-	91
	Indian Secular Front[b]	ISF[60]		Abbas Siddiqui	-	27

  Bharatiya Janata Party & Allies

Five hill-based parties pledged support to BJP ahead of the assembly election (Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF), Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists, Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League (ABGL), Gorkhaland Rajya Nirman Morcha and SUMETI Mukti Morcha.^[49] Hindu Samhati, a right wing organisation in West Bengal, withdrew their support from the BJP initially^[71] and later declared to contest elections on its own,^[72] however in the end they supported the BJP.^[73] BJP alloted a seat of Amta constituency to the president of Hindu Samhati to contest on BJP's symbol.^[74]

Map of the seat sharing arrangements of the Bharatiya Janata Party for the 2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election.

BJP also allotted the Baghmundi constituency, bordering Jharkhand, to the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU).^[75][76]

Party			Symbol	Leader	Seats
	Bharatiya Janata Party	BJP		Dilip Ghosh	293
	All Jharkhand Students Union	AJSU		Ashutosh Mahto	1

Others

Shiv Sena initially said that they would contest in around 100 seats,^[77] but later on 4 March 2021 announced that they would not contest and will instead support Mamata Banerjee and TMC from outside.^[78]

Party			Symbol	Leader(s)	Contesting Seats
	Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist)	SUCI(C)		Provash Ghosh	193
	Janata Dal (United)[79]	JD(U)		Sanjay Verma	40[80]
	Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation[81]	CPI(ML)L		Dipankar Bhattacharya	12
	Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Red Star[82]	CPI(ML) Red Star		K N Ramchandran	4
	All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen[83]	AIMIM		Asaduddin Owaisi	13
	Bahujan Samaj Party[84]	BSP		Mayawati	113
	National People's Party[85]	NPP			2

Candidates

In 292 seats, a total of 2,132 candidates were in the fray. The voting in 2 constituencies had to be postponed to 16 May, after the death of 1 candidate each.

List of the candidates constituency wise of the four main parties/alliance:

Surveys and polls

Exit poll

The Election Commission on 27 March, banned publication of any surveys and exit polls till 7:30 PM of 29 April to prevent any influence on voters.^[99][100] However, in another notification, the time was brought forward to 7:00PM of the same day.^[101]

Opinion poll

A number of Pre-poll surveys for the elections were published by different agencies and groups in the span of one year until 27 March. However most polls contradicted each other regarding the possible outcome.^[139]

Election

These elections is being conducted amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, necessary guidelines are being issued by the Election Commission of India.^[169]

COVID-19 guidelines

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide, the Election Commission of India issued various health guidelines for conducting the elections. The guidelines include use of masks, sanitisation of the polling booths, use of thermal scanners before entering the polling booths, maintaining social distancing, and so forth.^[170] The number of maximum voters for each polling station has also been brought down to 1000 from 1500.^[171]

A volunteer conducting thermal screening of the voters, at a polling booth, during the third phase of the West Bengal Assembly Election, in Uluberia, West Bengal on April 06, 2021.

After hikes in COVID-19 cases in the state,^[172] the Election Commission issued warning against all recognised state and national political parties for following the COVID-19 guidelines strictly.^[173] The Election Commission banned all political rallies, public meetings, street plays and nukkad sabhas during 7 PM to 10 AM starting from 16 April.^[174] On 22 April 2021, owing to the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in India, ahead of the 7th & 8th phase of voting the Election Commission of India withdrew permission for any kind of roadshows including cycle, bike, vehicle rallies and added that not more than 500 people would be allowed in public meetings.^[175] ECI on 27 April issued a notification banning all kinds of victory processions on and after the day of counting of votes.^[176]

Security preparations

An elderly elector cast her vote with assistance of CAPF Jawans at 260 Bardhaman Dakshin Assembly Constituency of Purba Bardhaman District.

Polling officials collecting the Electronic Voting Machine (EVMs) and other necessary inputs required for the West Bengal Assembly Election, at a distribution centre, in Uluberia, West Bengal on 5 April 2021.

After several instances of violence, threats and murders even before the polls were announced, the Election Commission of India and Home Ministry ordered twelve companies of central forces were be deployed in West Bengal from 20 February. At least 125 more central troops were ordered to reach West Bengal on 25 February to ensure law and order in the poll-bound state. The Election commission said that forces will lay stress on area domination, especially in sensitive zones.^[177] 60 companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), 30 companies of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), 25 companies of the Border Security Force (BSF) and five companies each of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).^[178] The total number of central forces deployed increased progressively to 725 companies.^[179][180] The number of total deployment of central security forces increased to 1000 companies following deployment of additional 200 CAPF companies after the third phase of polling.^[181]

In the second phase of election, Section 144 was implemented across areas of Tamluk and Haldia subdivisions.^[182] After fourth phase of polling, ECI deployed additional 71 companies of central forces, making the total deployment number at 1,071 companies of central forces.^[183]

Voting

Polling officials carrying the Electronic Voting Machine (EVMs) and other necessary inputs required for the West Bengal Assembly Election, at a distribution centre, in Uluberia, West Bengal on April 05, 2021.

First time voters showing mark of indelible ink after casting their vote, at a polling booth, during the fourth phase of the West Bengal Assembly Election, at Nehru Colony Primary School, Regent Park, in Kolkata, West Bengal on April 10, 2021.

Voters standing in the queue to cast their votes, at a polling booth, during the third phase of the West Bengal Assembly Election, in Uluberia, West Bengal on April 06, 2021.

Voter Turnout

Phase I

Nearly 74 lakh electorates across 10,288 polling stations of West Bengal were registered to in this phase of election. Webcasting were arranged for 5392 polling stations. During this phase, a total of 10288 Ballot Units (BUs), 10288 Control Units (CUs) and 10288 VVPATs were used in West Bengal.^[184]

Phase II

Nearly 73 lakh electorates across 10,592 polling stations of West Bengal were registered to in this phase of election. Webcasting were arranged for 5,535 polling stations. During this phase, a total of 10,620 Ballot Units (BUs), 10,620 Control Units(CUs) and 10,620 VVPATs were used. 1,137 Flying Squads (FS) and 1012 Static Surveillance Teams (SST) were operational to check movement of cash, liquor, drugs & freebies. 3 Air Intelligence Units (AIU) of IT Department were also set up at Kolkata, Andal in Durgapur and Bagdogra. 14,499 cases of Model Code of Conduct violations were reported from West Bengal with 11,630 disposed till 4.30 pm of voting day.^[185]

Phase III

A total of 7,852,425 voters were eligible to vote in 10,871 polling stations of this phase, out of which, 64,083 were physically disabled voters and 126,177 were voters above the age of 80. In the third phase, 22 general observers, 7 police observers and 9 expenditure observers were deployed.^[186]

Phase IV

A total of 11,581,022 voters were eligible to vote in this phase of election, out of which, 50,523 were physically disabled voters and 203,927 were voters above the age of 80.^[187]

Phase V

A total of 11,347,344 voters were eligible to vote in this phase of election, out of which, 60,198 were physically disabled voters and 179,634 were voters above the age of 80.^[188]

Phase VI

A total of 10,387,791 voters were eligible to vote in this phase of election, out of which, 64,266 were physically disabled voters and 157,290 were voters above the age of 80.^[189]

Incidents

• Ahead of the first phase of election, an election vehicle was set on fire by two unknown men.^[190]
• On 27 March, i.e. the day of first phase polling, TMC supporters protested outside booth no. 172 of Majna in South Kanthi alleging EVM malfunction. It was alleged that if voters cast their vote for TMC, the VVPAT was showing the lotus sign of BJP. Not only Majna, but similar allegations came from the booth next to it.^[191][192]
• Two security personnel were reportedly injured in Satsatmal village of Purba Medinipur district in a firing and bombing incident during the phase 1 of polling.^[193]
• A BJP worker's dead body found in Paschim Medinipur during the first phase of election.^[194]
• Three TMC activists were injured in blast in Bankura during the first phase.^[195]
• In Dantan constituency, it was reported that the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was preventing people from voting. A complaint was lodged at a local police station which alleged that the CRPF were allowing BJP workers to reside in the booth and casting votes in their name.^[196]
• On 28 March, the ECI stated that 56 bombs were seized from Narendrapur of South 24 Parganas district.^[197]
• During the filing of nomination by a BJP candidate in Barrackpore, gunshots were fired and later clashes broke out between BJP and TMC workers.^[198]
• On 30 March, Ashok Dinda, BJP's candidate from Moyna, Purba Medinipur was attacked and his vehicle was vandalised during a campaign. He claimed that hundreds of goons, wielding lathi and rods hurled stones at his vehicle. Dinda was injured on his shoulder.^[199]
• On 2 April, the West Bengal Police seized 41 crude bombs in Bhangar constituency.^[200]
• During the third phase of polling, EVM and VVPAT machines were found in the house of a Trinamool Congress politician. Later, the sector officer were suspended.^[201]
• In the fourth phase of polling, there were two major instances of violence, both in Sitalkuchi constituency of Cooch Behar district. In one incident in Pathantuli, a first-time voter Ananda Barman was shot dead by unknown assailants after casting his vote. Both parties claimed he was a worker of theirs, but family members said he was a BJP worker.^[202] Elsewhere in Sitalkuchi, CISF personnel who were guarding a polling station in Jorepatki shot dead four villagers, who they alleged were part of a mob attacking them. According to them, the mob attacked them over rumours the security forces had thrashed a local boy and they fired in self-defence. The families of the deceased alleged the firing was deliberate, and that they were simply in a queue to vote.^[203][204]
• During the fifth phase of polling, in the Shantinagar^{[disambiguation needed]} locality of Bidhannagar, bricks and stones were hurled by TMC and BJP booth workers at each other leaving eight people injured ^[205]
• BJP candidate, Gopal Chandra Saha was shot at while campaigning in Malda district, he was admitted to a hospital.^[206]
• On 29 April, during the 8th phase of voting crude bombs were hurled near Mahajati Sadan in north Kolkata.^[207]

Results

Election result for 292 constituencies was announced on 2 May 2021 from 8:00 am (UTC+5:30), whereas results for 2 constituencies was delayed till 19 May 2021.

Parties and coalitions		Popular vote			Seats
		Votes	%	±pp	Contested	Won	+/−
	All India Trinamool Congress (AITC)	28,735,420	47.94		288	213	2
	Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)	22,850,710	38.13		291	77	74
	Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM)	2,837,276	4.73		136	0	26
	Indian National Congress (INC)	1,757,131	2.94		90	0	44
	Indian Secular Front (ISF)	813,489	1.35		27	1	1
	All India Forward Bloc (AIFB)	318,932	0.53		18	0	3
	Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP)	126,121	0.21		10	0	2
	Communist Party Of India (CPI)	118,655	0.20		10	0	1
	Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) (T) Faction	163,797	0.27		3	1	1
	Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) (B) Faction	103,190	0.17		3	0	3
	None of the Above (NOTA)	646,827	1.08
Total		59,935,988	100.0			292	±0

Alliance Wise Results

District wise Results