Kolkata, April 22 -- As the state goes into the first phase of polling on April 23, covering 152 constituencies across 16 districts, the contest is more about prestige battles and shifting political loyalties, making it one of the most closely watched electoral showdowns in recent times.
The Election Commission, to make the polls threat and intimidation free, has introduced an unprecedented security blanket with a huge deployment of central forces and webcasting in all the booths.
The EC data shows a total electorate of 3,60,77,171, which will exercise their franchise in this phase, accounting for roughly 67 per cent of the population across these constituencies.
However, beyond the scale and logistics, it is the sharply polarised politi...