National Desk : Voice of Calcutta

The Election Commission of India has officially announced the schedule for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar revealed the dates during a press briefing at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on Sunday.

According to the Election Commission, polling for the 294 Assembly seats in West Bengal will be conducted in two phases. The first phase of voting will take place on April 23, covering 152 constituencies, while the second phase will be held on April 29 for the remaining 142 seats. The counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.

With the announcement of the election schedule, the Model Code of Conduct has come into immediate effect across the state. As a result, the state government will not be able to announce any new policy decisions or major projects until the election process is completed. Administrative control will also come under the direct supervision of the Election Commission.

The current term of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly is set to expire on May 7, 2026, and the election process is expected to conclude before that, paving the way for the formation of a new government.

However, the announcement has also reignited concerns regarding the voter list revision process. Allegations have surfaced that a significant number of voters were removed from the electoral rolls during the adjudication and deletion procedures. Critics argue that the election schedule has been declared before these issues were fully resolved.

The Election Commission has stated that a supplementary voter list will be released soon, but many affected voters remain uncertain whether they will be able to exercise their franchise in the upcoming election.

Notably, the 2021 West Bengal Assembly election was conducted in eight phases, which had triggered intense political debate at the time. In contrast, the Commission has opted for a two-phase election this year, a decision that aligns with earlier demands made by opposition parties such as the BJP, Congress, and CPI(M).

Meanwhile, there has been no official reaction from the state government so far regarding the announced election schedule. With the dates now confirmed, political parties across the state are expected to intensify their campaign preparations in the coming weeks.

National Desk : Voice of Calcutta