Bengal's Star candidates clash in phase 5 of Lok Sabha elections

Voting for the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections will take place on May 20, covering seven constituencies in West Bengal: Bangaon, Barrackpore, Howrah, Uluberia, Srirampur, Hooghly, and Arambag. This phase is particularly notable for featuring eight star and VIP candidates, including two actresses, Locket Chatterjee (BJP) and Rachana Banerjee (TMC), who are contesting from the Hooghly constituency. Both actresses, who have shared the screen in various roles, are now rivals in a high-stakes political battle marked by intense rhetoric.

Another significant contest is in Srirampur, where three-time TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee faces challenges from BJP's Kabir Shankar Bose, his former son-in-law, and Congress-Left Front alliance's Deepshita Dhar. Meanwhile, Shantanu Thakur, the Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, is defending his Bongaon seat against TMC MLA Vishwajit Das. Barrackpore sees BJP's Arjun Singh, who recently rejoined the party from TMC, contesting against three-time TMC MLA Partha Bhowmik. The outcomes of these high-profile contests will be decided by voters on May 20, with results announced on June 4.