Assembly elections to the four States of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal and Assam and the Union Territory of Puducherry start on Monday with the first phase of polling in West Bengal and Assam.
Purulia in West Bengal has the highest number of candidates (12) in a single constituency among the 18 Assembly constituencies going to the polls in the first of the six-phase voting in the State. Manbazar, with just five in the fray, has the least number of candidates among the constituencies in the State going to the polls on Monday. In all, there are 133 candidates contesting for the 18 seats in West Bengal in the first phase. Over 40 lakh voters are eligible to cast their vote in the State on Monday.
Nayagram, Salboni, Joypur, Bandwan, Binpur, Joypur and Raipur are among the other Assembly constituencies in West Bengal that will witness polling on Monday.
In Assam, Tezpur, Jorhat, Silchar, Karimganj North, Karimganj South, Digboi, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and Lakhimpur are among the 65 Assembly constituencies that will go to the polls in the first of the two-phase elections. Over 95 lakh voters are eligible to cast their vote in Assam on Monday.
Of the constituencies where polling will get under way in Assam on Monday, Karimganj South has the highest number of candidates (25) in a single constituency.
Howraghat, Biswanath and Thowra, with three candidates each in the fray, have the least number of candidates.
Till April 1, over ₹7 crore of illegal money had been seized by the authorities in West Bengal while in Assam over ₹8 crore had been seized by the authorities till late last week.
Counting of votes will take place on May 19.