Will Mamata magic work in the key 3rd phase of polls?

Sixty-two constituencies across the West Bengal districts of Burdwan, Murshidabad, Nadia and Kolkata will go to polls on Thursday.

The third phase of the seven-part polls — where the largest number of constituencies go to polls — will decide the fate of 418 candidates through 1.37 crore voters.

The bigwigs contesting tomorrow include Cabinet ministers Sadhan Pande, Sashi Panja and Subrata Saha, apart from a host of major political leaders such as Somen Mitra, former Minister Debesh Das and BJP’s national secretary Rahul Sinha.

The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) is gearing up for a tough fight in many of these areas.

In Bardhaman, once considered a Left citadel, the TMC now has a good presence. Of the 17 seats that will go to polls there tomorrow, the Left had won seven and the Congress, one, in 2011. The TMC won the balance eight. This makes it an even fight for the two fronts this time around. Even in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the TMC had retained its grip across the region — except in Katwa, which remains a Congress stronghold.

In Nadia, of the 17 seats, the TMC had won 13 in 2011, while the Congress secured one and the Left managed a presence in three.

The only hitch for the TMC is the 2014 Lok Sabha election results in the Assembly constituencies of Tehatta, Palashipara, Kaliganj, Nakashipara, Chapra, Krishnanagar Uttar and Nabadwip, all of which come under the Krishnanagar Parliamentary seat.

Here, the numbers are in favour of the Left-Congress combine (4,42,000 votes), as compared to the TMC’s 4,39,000. The BJP managed a moderate presence of 3,29,000 votes.

It remains to be seen how the votes play out in these segments.

But across the other Assembly segments like Nabadwip, Ranaghat Uttar Purba, Ranaghat Uttar Paschim, Krishnaganj and Chakdaha, the TMC has a comfortable lead, with little apparent threat from Congress-Left. On the back-foot

But Murshidabad spells trouble for the ruling party. Considered to be the bastion of Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, president of West Bengal Congress, the TMC has had a disastrous run here.

In 2011, it managed to win just one (Sagardighi) of 22 seats. The Congress won 14 and the CPI(M), seven. In fact, this is the one district where Mamata Banerjee’s attempts to poach dissident Congress leaders have failed to make a mark.

The minorities in the region have clearly voted for the Congress or the Left, TMC sources say. All numbers in the 2014 Lok sabha elections show a one-way fight in favour of the Congress.

However, the TMC seems to be most comfortably placed in Kolkata.

Seven Assembly segments covering north and central Kolkata will go to polls tomorrow. The TMC had won all the seven in 2011.

But there is trouble for the ruling party this time. The predominantly urban voters across these areas have been unhappy with the alleged involvement of TMC leaders in the Narada sting operations. Building material cartels are said to be rampant in several parts of the city, leading to discontent amongst people in Entally and Beleghata constituencies. The recent collapse of the Vivekanada Road flyover, leading to the death of 27 people, has added to the party’s woes in constituencies like Jorasanko and Shyampukur.

The BJP is fancying its chances in Jorasankho, banking on the anti-incumbency factor, and the lead that it got in the Assembly segment in the Lok Sabha polls. However, constituencies like Kashipur Belegachia, Maniktola and Chowranghee continue to be TMC strongholds.