Phase 1 voting in West Bengal today

KOLKATA, Apr 22: West Bengal is set to vote in the first phase of the assembly elections on Thursday, with polling scheduled in 152 constituencies across north Bengal and several districts in the southern part of the state. Here's a look at the main political parties contesting this time:

The Trinamool Congress, officially known as the All India Trinamool Congress, has been in power in West Bengal for the past 15 years. It was founded by Mamata Banerjee in 1998 as a breakaway faction of the Indian National Congress and rapidly rose to prominence in the politics of West Bengal under her leadership.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led TMC claims they are pro-Bengali sentiment, pro-development, and working tirelessly for the benefits of people of Bengal with the maximum strength in the state assembly. Apart from the leadership of Mamata Banerjee, Trinamool has its organisational strength in the grassroots, which they consider one of their main pillars. In 2021, the Trinamool Congress won 213 of the state's 294 seats in a landslide victory, its highest tally in the House. In terms of vote share, it registered an all-time high of 47.9% of votes.

During the 2021 election, the party rebuilt its connections to the masses with projects like 'Didi ke Bolo' and slogans like 'Khela Hobe'. Poll pandits believe Trinamool's masterstroke was the monthly beneficiary 'Lakhmi Bhandar' scheme for women, which made her chief minister of Bengal for the third consecutive time. The party is contesting more than 180 seats. West Bengal will have a two-phase poll on April 23 and 29. Counting is scheduled for May 4.-NDTV