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2011 West Bengal state general election

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All 294 seats in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly 148 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Turnout	84.33% ( 2.36 pp)
Majority party Minority party Third party   Leader Mamata Banerjee Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Manas Bhunia Party AITC CPI(M) INC Alliance UPA LF UPA Leader since 1998 2000 2008 Leader's seat Bhabanipur (By-elected) Jadavpur (Lost) Sabang (Won) Last election 26.64%, 30 seats 37.13%, 176 seats 14.71%, 21 seats Seats before 30 176 21 Seats won 184 40 42 Seat change 154 136 21 Popular vote 18,547,678 14,330,061 4,330,580 Percentage 38.93% 30.08% 9.09% Swing 12.29 pp 7.05 pp 5.62 pp
Seatwise Map of the Election Results
Structure of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly after election
Chief Minister before election Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee CPI(M) Chief Minister after election Mamata Banerjee AITC

Assembly election was held in Indian state of West Bengal in 2011 to elect the members of West Bengal Legislative Assembly as the term of the incumbent government was about to expire naturally. The election was held in six phases between 18 April and 10 May 2011 for all the 294 seats of the Assembly.

The Trinamool Congress led United Progressive Alliance won an absolute majority of seats in the state in a historic win marking the end of 34-year rule of Left Front, the longest-serving democratically elected communist government in the world, a fact that was noted by international media. Notably, the incumbent Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee lost even his Jadavpur seat to Trinamool's Manish Gupta, which was considered to be an electoral bastion of the CPI(M). Bhattacharjee became the 2nd Chief minister of the state to lose from his own seat, after Congress' Prafulla Chandra Sen's defeat in Arambagh to Ajoy Kumar Mukherjee of Bangla Congress in 1967.

Background

This was the first legislative assembly election for the Vidhan Sabha since 2007 Nandigram anti land acquisition violence and the 2006 Singur anti land acquisition violence, led by opposition party chief Mamata Banerjee, caused deaths by police firing amidst protests.

The Left Front had governed West Bengal since 1977. The election also followed the defeat of the Left Front in the 2009 general election, as well as its relatively poor showing in Panchayat and municipal elections.

Delimitation

The 2011 election adopted re-drawn electoral constituencies based on the 2001 census, following the 2002 Delimitation Commission of India, whose recommendations were approved in February 2008.

Polling schedule

Chief Election Commissioner of India S. Y. Quraishi announced that polling in West Bengal will be spread over six phases between 18 April and 10 May for the constituencies of the West Bengal Vidhan Sabha.

Phase I

54 constituencies went to the polls:
Mekliganj (SC), Mathabhanga (SC), Coochbehar Uttar (SC), Coochbehar Dakshin, Sitalkuchi (SC), Sitai (SC), Dinhata, Natabari, Tufangunj, Kumargram (ST), Kalchini (ST), Alipurduars, Falakata (SC), Madarihat (ST), Dhupguri (SC), Mayanaguri (SC), Jalpaiguri (SC), Rajganj (SC), Dabgram-Fulbari, Mal (ST), Nagrakata (ST), Kalimpong, Darjeeling, Kurseong, Matigara-Naxalbari (SC), Siliguri, Phansidewa (ST), Chopra, Islampur, Goalpokhar, Chakulia, Karandighi, Hemtabad (SC), Kaliaganj (SC), Raiganj, Itahar, Kushmandi (SC), Kumarganj, Balurghat, Tapan (ST), Gangarampur (SC), Harirampur, Habibpur (ST), Gazole (SC), Chanchal, Harishchandrapur, Malatipur, Ratua, Manikchak, Maldaha (SC), English Bazar, Mothabari, Sujapur, and Baisnabnagar.

Phase II

50 constituencies went to the polls:
Farakka, Samserganj, Suti, Jangipur, Raghunathganj, Sagardighi, Lalgola, Bhagaban Gola, Raninagar, Murshidabad, Nabagram (SC), Khargram (SC), Burwan (SC), Kandi, Bharatpur, Rejinagar, Beldanga, Baharampur, Hariharpara, Naoda, Domkal, Jalangi, Karimpur, Tehatta, Palashipara, Kaliganj, Nakashipara, Chapra, Krishnanagar Uttar, Nabadwip, Krishnanagar Dakshin, Santipur, Ranaghat Uttar Paschim, Krishnaganj (SC), Ranaghat Uttar Purba (SC), Ranaghat Dakshin (SC), Chakdah, Kalyani (SC), Haringhata (SC), Dubrajpur (SC), Suri, Bolpur, Nanoor (SC), Labpur, Sainthia (SC), Mayureswar, Rampurhat, Hansan, Nalhati, and Murarai.

Phase III

75 constituencies went to the polls:
Bagdah (SC), Bongaon Uttar (SC), Bongaon Dakshin (SC), Gaighata (SC), Swarupnagar (SC), Baduria, Habra, Ashoknagar, Amdanga, Bijpur, Naihati, Bhatpara, Jagatdal, Noapara, Barrackpur, Khardaha, Dum Dum Uttar, Panihati, Kamarhati, Baranagar, Dum Dum, Rajarhat New Town, Bidhan Nagar, Rajarhat Gopalpur, Madhyamgram, Barasat, Deganga, Haroa, Minakhan (SC), Sandeshkhali (ST), Basirhat Dakshin, Basirhat Uttar, Hingalganj (SC), Gosaba (SC), Basanti (SC), Kultali (SC), Patharpratima, Kakdwip, Sagar, Kulpi, Raidighi, Mandirbazar (SC), Jaynagar (SC), Baruipur Purba (SC), Canning Paschim (SC), Canning Purba, Baruipur Paschim, Magrahat Purba (SC), Magrahat Paschim, Diamond Harbour, Falta, Satgachia, Bishnupur (SC), Sonarpur Dakshin, Bhangore, Kasba, Jadavpur, Sonarpur Uttar, Tollygunj, Behala Purba, Behala Paschim, Maheshtala, Budge Budge, Metiabruz, Kokata Port, Bhabanipore, Rashbehari, Ballygunge, Chowrangee, Entally, Beleghata, Jorasanko, Shyampukur, Maniktala, and Kashipur-Belgachia.

Phase IV

63 constituencies went to the polls:
Bally, Howrah Uttar, Howrah Madhya, Shibpur, Howrah Dakshin, Sankrail (SC), Panchla, Uluberia Purba, Uluberia Uttar (SC), Uluberia Dakshin, Shyampur, Bagnan, Amta, Udaynarayanpur, Jagatballavpur, Domjur, Uttarpara, Sreerampur, Champdani, Singur, Chandannagore, Chunchura, Balagarh (SC), Pandua, Saptagram, Chanditala, Jangipara, Haripal, Dhanekhali (SC), Tarakeswar, Pursurah, Arambag (SC), Goghat (SC), Khanakul, Tamluk, Panskura Purba, Panskura Paschim, Moyna, Nandakumar, Mahisadal, Haldia (SC), Nandigram, Chandipur, Patashpur, Kanthi Uttar, Bhagabanpur, Khejuri (SC), Kanthi Dakshin, Ramnagar, Egra, Bardhaman Dakshin, Jamalpur (SC), Monteswar, Kalna (SC), Memari, Bardhaman Uttar (SC), Bhatar, Purbasthali Dakshin, Purbasthali Uttar, Katwa, Ketugram, Mangalkot and Ausgram (SC)

Phase V

38 constituencies went to the polls:
Dantan, Keshiary (ST), Kharagpur Sadar, Narayangarh, Sabang, Pingla, Kharagpur, Debra, Daspur, Ghatal (SC), Chandrakona (SC), Keshpur (SC), Purulia, Manbazar (ST), Kashipur, Para (SC), Raghunathpur (SC), Saltora (SC), Chhatnam, Bankura, Barjora, Onda, Bishnupur, Katulpur (SC), Indus (SC), Sonamukhi (SC), Khandaghosh (SC), Raina (SC), Galsi (SC), Pandabeswar, Durgapur Purba, Durgapur Paschim, Raniganj, Jamuria, Asansol Dakshin, Asansol Uttar, Kulti and Barabani.

Phase VI

14 constituencies went to the polls:
Nayagram (ST), Gopiballavpur, Jhargram, Garbeta, Salboni, Medinipur, Binpur (ST), Bandwan (ST), Balarampur, Baghmundi, Joypur, Ranibandh (ST), Raipur (ST) and Taldangra.

Parties

United Progressive Alliance

• All India Trinamool Congress (AITC)
• Indian National Congress (INC)
• Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)
• Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) (SUCI(C))
• Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF)
• Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)
• Party of Democratic Socialism (India) (PDS)

Left Front (LF)

• Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM)
• Communist Party of India (CPI)
• Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP)
• All India Forward Bloc (AIFB)
• Revolutionary Communist Party of India (RCPI)
• Marxist Forward Bloc (MFB)
• Samajwadi Party (SP)
• Democratic Socialist Party (DSP(PC))

National Democratic Alliance

• Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
• Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM)

Alliance wise result

Candidates

List of the candidates (constituency wise) of the 3 main parties/alliance:

Campaign

Mamata Banerjee ended her campaign on 9 May in the constituency of the incumbent CM Bhattacharjee in Jadavpur a day after Bhattacharjee appealed to the electorate there to return him to power. Before campaigning ended at 17:00, she appealed to the electorate to "Help me bring about change." The Trinamool Congress heavily campaigned for Paribartan ('change' in Bengali) under its slogan Badla noy Badal chai ('We don't want revenge, we want change' in Bengali), referring the political violence unleashed by the CPI(M) in Singur, Nandigram & Netai.

Land reform

Following the general election, with the TMC being an important part of the central government's coalition, the central government eased its controversial land acquisition policy for Special Economic Zones. Part of the proposal was that the government would not get involved in land acquisition for private organizations. One official from the central ruling coalition was quoted as saying that "There is a tacit understanding between these two critical allies that there will be no decision on the Land Acquisition Bill until the results of West Bengal state elections are clear." The issue of land acquisition for development also created a battle zone like situation in the villages between armed cadres of the ruling CPM and the Maoists. as seen in the 2006 Singur anti-land acquisition movement & 2007 Nandigram anti-land acquisition movement.

Gorkhaland

During the general election the issue of the founding of Gorkhaland as separate from West Bengal gained prominence along with the victory of Jaswant Singh from Darjeeling constituency for the Bharatiya Janata Party, and supported by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (which advocates the creation of a separate Gorkhaland for ethnic Nepalis as opposed to ethnic Bengalis).

Since the election the issue again cropped up as demands for a separate Telangana being bifurcated from Andhra Pradesh grew. During this election CM Bhattacharjee said that Gorkhaland should not be separated but instead an additional development of the region should occur. He said in Lichupokhri that those advocating the separation should "stop your movement for a Gorkhaland. It will never be fulfilled. Concentrate on the all-round development of Darjeeling as it is the only solution to the issue."

Election

On 17 April, the Election Commission of India issued an appeal for all registered voters to turn out for their respective electoral dates.

During the first phase, the Indian border with Bangladesh at the Maldaha constituency was sealed from 16 April, two days before the election, to "prevent miscreants from causing trouble." One-hundred and twelve companies of central paramilitary forces were delegated to man 260 voting booths, 150 of which were decreed to be "sensitive." The district magistrate Rajesh Kumar Sinha also said that 50 booths would be put under round-the-clock online surveillance.

Seven Bengali film stars and theatre personalities won seats with the TMC ticket.

Exit polls

Results

Summary of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, 2011 result

Party	Seats contested	Seats won	Seat change	Vote share	Swing
Trinamool Congress	226	184	154	38.93%	12.29%
Communist Party of India (Marxist)	213	40	136	30.08%	7.05%
Indian National Congress	66	42	21	9.09%	5.62%
All India Forward Bloc	34	11	12	4.80%	0.86%
Revolutionary Socialist Party (India)	23	7	13	2.96%	0.75%
Gorkha Janmukti Morcha	3	3	3	0.72%	New
Communist Party of India	14	2	6	1.84	0.07%
Samajwadi Party	5	1	1	0.74%	0.03%
Socialist Unity Centre of India (C)	30	1	1	0.44%
Democratic Socialist Party	2	1		0.35%	0.01%
Independents		2	4	3.13%	1.09%
Bharatiya Janata Party	289	0		4.06%	2.13%
Trinamool and allies		227	192
Left Front		62	168
Total		294
Turnout:
Source: Election Commission of India Archived 18 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine

By constituency