Kolkata: Seven Lok Sabha constituencies spread across three districts in West Bengal will go to polls in the fifth phase of elections on Monday.
The ruling Trinamool Congress, the BJP, the Congress and Left Front constituent CPI(M) are the main contenders in the seven seats where the fate of 83 candidates will be decided by a 1,16,91,889-strong electorate.
To ensure free and fair polling in Bongaon (SC), Barrackpur, Howrah, Uluberia, Serampore, Hooghly and Arambagh (SC) seats, the Election Commission will deploy a total of 578 companies of central forces, which will cover almost 100 per cent polling booths, officials said.
The campaign for these constituencies have seen poll meetings by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Banerjee also participated in a number of roadshows, including one in the last day.
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Outside the Hindi heartland, language is one – there are others as well – factor that favours the regional leaders on the campaign trail. I do not recall how Mrs Gandhi overcame this constraint, became the Amma of the South, which stood solidly with her in 1977.