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294 seats (out of 295 seats) in the West Bengal state assembly 148 seats needed for a majority |
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Mamata Bannerjee
Trinamool Congress
Mamata Bannerjee
Trinamool Congress
A Legislative Assembly election was held in 2016 for the 294 seats (out of 295 seats) of the Vidhan Sabha in the state of West Bengal in India. All India Trinamool Congress under Mamata Banerjee won 211 seats, and thus was reelected with an enhanced majority. Like in the 2011 election, the poll was held in six phases. The first phase was held in Naxalite-Maoist affected Red corridor areas with two polling dates: April 4 and April 11. The other phases were held on April 17, 21, 25, 30 and May 5. The result of the election was declared on May 19.
In the previous election in 2011, the All India Trinamool Congress in a coalition with INC won a majority and ended the 34-year rule of the Left Front government.
In the previous assembly election in 2011, the All India Trinamool Congress, under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee, won a majority and ended the 34-year rule of the Left Front government. During 2011 election, the main theme of TMC was paribartan (meaning "change"), implying it was time to change the Left Front reign of 34-years in the state. However, during the five year rule of TMC, urban population, in particular, were in general unhappy with the changes made by the government. Also, newspapers reported that chief minister Banerjee has been only trying to consolidate votes from the sizable Muslim minority.
Prior to the West Bengal elections, on 3 January 2016, a Muslim mob turned violent and vandalised Kaliachak Police station, block development office and public property in Kaliachak, Malda district. Mamata Banerjee's government was severely criticised for not handling the situation better.