India, March 20 -- New Delhi As the Election Commission of India (ECI) sets the tone for a hectic electoral process starting April, Dhrubo Jyoti maps the stakes in the four states heading to polls.

West Bengal

It is one of India's most politically important states but also one that has only been ruled by two parties for the past six decades. As West Bengal heads to the polls, history beckons Mamata Banerjee who is vying for a fourth term in what is the most-watched elections in this term. At 73, the Trinamool Congress chief has established a dense and locally rooted political organisation that she rules with an iron hand, a crucial lever in a state with high levels of political violence. She has created a network of welfare schemes that...