The Election Commission has announced the election dates of the upcoming five states including West Bengal on Sunday. Elections will be held in Bengal in 2 phases instead of 8 phases. The first phase notification will be issued on March 30. For this, candidates can file their nominations till 6th April. Withdrawal of nominations will be allowed on 9th April. Voting for the first phase will take place on April 23.
Notification for the second phase will be issued on April 2. Nominations will be filed by April 9. Nominations for the second phase can be withdrawn till April 13. Apart from this, the second phase of voting will take place on April 29. The counting of electoral votes will take place on 4th May 2026, with this the elections in the states will be completed on 6th May 2026. Voting will be held on 294 assembly seats in the state. With the announcement of election dates, the code of conduct has now been implemented in the state. Addressing the press conference, Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has said that strict action will be taken against those who commit political violence.
What has the Election Commissioner said regarding election security arrangements?
Apart from this, Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said that the Commission will strengthen transparency and monitoring in the voting process. 100 percent webcasting facility will be provided in all polling stations during the 2026 assembly elections in all states and one union territory. During the press conference, the Election Commissioner said that the foundation of any democracy is a transparent voter list. For this purpose, a special thorough revision is being done under Article 326 of the Constitution. This can ensure the voting rights of eligible voters. He said that I congratulate everyone involved in this work including booth level officers, Assistant Voter Registration Officers, Voter Registration Officers, District Election Officers for ensuring smooth operation and completion of this work.
How were the election results of 2021?
Earlier, in the Bengal Assembly elections held in the year 2021, TMC had become the largest party on 294 seats and had won power in the state. In that election, TMC won 213 seats and Mamata Banerjee became the Chief Minister for the third consecutive time. Apart from this, BJP had won the title of main opposition party by hoisting the flag on 77 seats. At that time BJP had got 38 percent votes of the entire state. Whereas TMC’s vote percentage was 48. In such a situation, this time a tough contest can be seen between BJP and TMC in the state.
Also read: Election Dates 2026: Elections in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry on April 9, see full election schedule of five states including Bengal.
