On March 15, 2026, the Election Commission (ECI) announced the dates for the assembly elections of Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry including West Bengal. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said in the press conference that voting will be held in two phases on 294 seats in Bengal. The first phase will be on 23 April 2026 and the second on 29 April 2026. Counting of votes in all states will take place on 4 May 2026.
Transfer of top police officers in Bengal
The Election Commission clearly said that every possible step will be taken to make the elections violence-free and peaceful. For this purpose, major changes have been made in the senior police officers of the state. DGP, many IG level officers and Kolkata Police Commissioner were transferred. New officers will now take over the responsibility. This decision has been taken to ensure fairness and law and order in the elections.
Earlier, the Principal Secretary and Chief Secretary of the state were also transferred. TMC expressed happiness over the schedule of two phases and said that they are ready to defeat BJP even in so many phases. TMC leader Sagarika Ghosh while talking to ABP said that this decision is right and the party is fully prepared.
TMC will be wiped out from Bengal: BJP
BJP leader Gaurav Vallabh, in a special conversation with ABP News, fiercely targeted TMC and Congress. He claimed that TMC will be wiped out from Bengal on May 4, 2026. He said, ‘Bengal was once the flag bearer of industries, but these three ‘K’s’ – Communist, Congress and its subsidiary TMC together ruined the state. The people here are highly educated, but are not getting employment. TMC cheated with the slogan of ‘Maa, Mati, Manush’. Be it the RG tax case or the rape of a law college student… TMC was always busy protecting the culprits. Now the people of Bengal have decided that TMC is gone.
BJP demands action against CM Mamata
On the other hand, BJP has made a sharp attack. Union Minister Sukant Majumdar said that there are many officers who stood with Mamata Banerjee during the ED raid. How is it possible to have fair elections under the supervision of such officers? Shouldn’t action be taken against them?
The Election Commission says that these steps were necessary to strengthen law and order in the state. TMC is calling it a political conspiracy, while BJP is considering it as a positive step towards fair elections. Now the election activity has intensified. The phase of rallies, rhetoric and allegations and counter-allegations has begun. What will happen this time in Bengal will become clear on May 4.
