With concerns over the law-and-order situation in West Bengal during the ongoing Assembly election, recent incidents like the rape and murder at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, and the Sandeshkhali exploitation in North 24 Parganas district have become key campaign topics before the upcoming polls. Opposition parties in the state are using these events to highlight allegations of intimidation, violence, and crimes against women during the Trinamool Congress’ 15-year rule.
The first phase of the Assembly elections covered 152 out of West Bengal’s 294 constituencies on April 23, with the remaining areas scheduled for the second phase on Wednesday. Notably, all 11 Assembly constituencies in Kolkata, including Kashipur Belgachhia where the RG Kar Hospital is located, will go to polls, along with Sandeshkhali.
Kashipur Belgachhia has historically been a stronghold for the Trinamool Congress, even during the Left’s governance. In the 2021 elections, the ruling party candidate secured victory over the BJP’s closest competitor by a significant margin of over 35,000 votes. Similarly, in Sandeshkhali, the Trinamool ended the Left’s long-standing rule in 2016 and maintained its position in 2021 with a winning margin of nearly 39,700 votes.
