US EditionWest Bengal Records 18.76 per Cent Voter Turnout Till 9 Am in First Phase of Polling for 152 Seats: EC.
About 3.6 crore voters will choose among 1,478 candidates as the ruling Trinamool Congress and BJP test their strength in the state’s first phase.
- Voting began Thursday in 152 constituencies across 16 West Bengal districts for the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026, marking a critical test for the ruling Trinamool Congress and opposition BJP.
- The Election Commission of India deployed about 2,407 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces and identified over 8,000 polling stations as highly sensitive to ensure secure polling. For the BJP, retaining dominance in north Bengal is crucial to remain in contention statewide.
- Key candidates include Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram and former Congress president of Bengal Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in Baharampur. About 3.6 crore electors will determine the fate of 1,478 candidates across these 152 seats.
- A Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls deleted around 91 lakh names from the voter list, sparking controversy. The BJP claims this exercise weeded out infiltrators, while the TMC accuses the Election Commission of disenfranchising genuine electors.
- Over 70 per cent of removed electors in eight north Bengal and Murshidabad districts are Muslims, sharpening political polarization. The ruling TMC must prevent a BJP sweep in the north to establish momentum before the second phase on April 29.
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14 Articles
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Polling begins for 152 assembly seats in 1st phase of Bengal elections
Kolkata, Apr 23 (PTI) Voting began on Thursday in 152 constituencies in the first phase of the West Bengal assembly elections, amid unprecedented security arrangements and a high-stakes battle that could shape the direction of the entire contest. Polling started at 7 am with voters queueing up outside booths in districts ranging from Darjeeling and […]
West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026: List of all constituencies going to polls in Phase 1 on April 23
The first phase of the West Bengal Assembly Election 2026 is scheduled to take place on April 23 (Thursday), covering 152 constituencies across north Bengal and parts of south Bengal, including the politically significant Nandigram seat. According to data from the Election Commission of India, nearly 3.60 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballots in this phase. This includes around 1.84 crore male voters, 1.75 crore female voters, and 465 …
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