Kolkata:
Polling began for six Lok Sabha seats in the second phase of the elections in West Bengal today. (
India Votes 2014: Full Coverage)
Prominent among the 78 candidates whose electoral fortunes would be decided today are President Pranab Mukherjee's son Abhijit and
Mamata Banerjee's bete noire, union minister Deepa Dasmunshi. (
India Votes: Candidates | Schedule)
While five of the six seats - Raiganj, Maldaha Uttar, Maldaha Dakshin, Jangipur and Murshidabad - were bagged by the Congress in the 2009 general elections, which it fought in alliance with the TMC, the RSP had won the Balurghat seat.
Among other prominent candidates is sitting MP Mausam Noor of Congress from Maldaha Uttar. She is pitted against popular Bangla band singer Soumitra Ray of TMC.
Abu Hashem Khan Chowdhury is seeking re-election as a Congress candidate from Maldaha South.
A total of 83,06,756 voters, including 43,00,732 men and 94 in the other category are expected to vote.