West Bengal, Tamil Nadu polls today: Voting begins as TMC, BJP, DMK and TVK face the verdict; Key seats to watch

Weeks of relentless campaigning have given way to polling day. West Bengal and Tamil Nadu are voting today in assembly elections that will test the political ambitions of everyone from Mamata Banerjee and Narendra Modi to a film star making his electoral debut.

In West Bengal, polling began at 7 am across 152 of the state's 294 constituencies in the first phase, with nearly 3.6 crore voters eligible to cast their ballots. The remaining constituencies go to the polls on April 29. In Tamil Nadu, all 234 seats are voting in a single day, with around 5.67 crore voters expected at the booths. A high turnout is anticipated in both states.

Bengal: TMC vs BJP, with welfare, identity and deleted voter rolls at the centre

West Bengal's contest is a direct, high-voltage fight between the ruling Trinamool Congress led by Mamata Banerjee and the BJP, whose campaign was spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

The BJP has mounted an aggressive, nationalist campaign blending Hindutva messaging with allegations of corruption, illegal infiltration from Bangladesh and governance failures. The TMC, however, has gained ground after targeting the BJP over the controversial Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, accusing the party of colluding with the Election Commission. More than 91 lakh names were deleted from Bengal's electoral rolls, with the fates of nearly 62 lakh voters still undecided going into polling day.

On welfare, both parties have made a direct pitch to women voters, who now number over 3.76 crore in the state, up from the last Lok Sabha polls. The BJP has promised a monthly stipend of Rs 3,000, edging past the TMC's Rs 1,000 Lakshmir Bhandar scheme. The TMC has also leaned on Bengali identity, projecting itself as a defender of the state's culture against what it frames as the BJP's cultural imposition.

A resurgent Left Front is also in the mix, contesting 252 seats and focusing on tea garden belts and younger voters in districts such as Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Kalimpong and Jalpaiguri, areas where the BJP has made significant inroads in recent years.

Key seats to watch:

Nandigram, where Suvendu Adhikari looks to retain the seat he wrested from Mamata Banerjee in 2021. Berhampore, where Congress veteran Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury returns to assembly politics after decades. And Mathabhanga, where BJP's Nisith Pramanik aims to consolidate the party's base.

Tamil Nadu: A three-cornered fight with a film star wildcard

Tamil Nadu presents a more complex picture. The ruling DMK, led by Chief Minister MK Stalin, faces the AIADMK under Edappadi K Palaniswami in what was once a straight Dravidian contest, but actor-politician Vijay's TVK has upended the familiar dynamic.

The DMK has framed the election as a referendum on its governance, welfare record and defence of federal rights. The AIADMK, after internal churn and alliance shifts, is attempting a political comeback under EPS. The TVK, drawing interest from younger and urban voters, is positioning itself as an alternative to entrenched Dravidian politics.

Adding further intrigue, O Panneerselvam, EPS's long-standing arch-rival within the AIADMK, switched to the DMK just before the election and will contest from Bodinayakkanur.

Key seats to watch:

Kolathur, where MK Stalin seeks re-election. Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni, where his son Udhayanidhi Stalin is on the ballot. Edappadi, where EPS contests from his home turf. And two constituencies,Tiruchirapalli East and Perambur, where Vijay will make his electoral debut, contesting from both seats simultaneously.