National Desk : VOC

Holding the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections in a single phase now appears increasingly unlikely, according to sources in the Election Commission of India. The primary challenge lies in ensuring adequate deployment of central forces and police personnel across the state on a single polling day to guarantee free and peaceful voting. As a result, the Commission is actively considering conducting the elections in multiple phases to ensure sufficient security coverage.

Preparations have already intensified, with both the Election Commission and the office of the state’s Chief Electoral Officer stepping up monitoring mechanisms. Drawing lessons from the recent Kaliganj by-election, stricter supervision is being planned for the upcoming polls. Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal has stated that this time the Commission aims to implement a more robust system to ensure 100 percent webcasting at polling stations.

In previous elections, although full webcasting was officially announced, several booths reportedly failed to meet that standard, leading to allegations of lapses in monitoring. To close these gaps, the Commission plans to appoint dedicated personnel at every Assembly constituency and Returning Officer’s office. These officials will work in four-to-five-hour shifts solely to oversee webcasting operations. Before completing their duty, they must submit written reports, and any irregularity detected will prompt immediate corrective instructions.

During a recent video conference, the Commission issued a stern directive that central forces must not be misused, kept idle, or diverted improperly. Any proven negligence in deployment could invite strict action against the state police administration.

A full bench of the Election Commission is scheduled to visit the state on March 9 and 10 to hold consultations with political parties and administrative authorities. Only after these meetings will the final decision be taken on the number of polling phases and additional security arrangements.

Meanwhile, uncertainty continues over the fate of nearly six million voters whose names were deleted from the electoral rolls in successive revisions. Whether these voters will receive relief before the election remains unclear and will depend on future directives from the Commission.

At present, the Commission remains preoccupied with finalizing the election schedule and tightening surveillance mechanisms. All eyes are now on its final decision, which is expected to shape not only the structure of the polls but also public confidence in the electoral process.

If you want, I can give you 2 strong alternative headlines for this report, for example:

“West Bengal 2026 Polls Likely in Multiple Phases as Election Commission Tightens Surveillance”

“Security Gaps and Voter Roll Concerns Push 2026 Assembly Elections Toward Multi-Phase Voting”

National Desk : Voice of Calcutta