The upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections will be conducted in two phases on April 23 and April 29, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar announced on Monday. Polling will cover all 294 constituencies in the state.
The announcement was made at Nirvachan Sadan by the Election Commission of India while unveiling the election schedule for several states and the Union Territory of Puducherry. Elections will also take place in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Assam.
Two-Phase Polling in Bengal
According to the Election Commission, 152 constituencies will vote in Phase 1 on April 23, while the remaining 142 constituencies will go to polls in Phase 2 on April 29.
For the first phase, the last date for filing nominations is April 6, while April 9 is the deadline for nominations for the second phase.
Districts scheduled for Phase 1 polling on April 23 include:
- Cooch Behar
- Alipurduar
- Jalpaiguri
- Darjeeling
- North Dinajpur and South Dinajpur
- Malda
- Murshidabad
- Birbhum
- Paschim Bardhaman
- Purba Medinipur and Paschim Medinipur
- Purulia
- Bankura
- Jhargram
Phase 2 polling on April 29 will take place in districts including:
- Kolkata
- Howrah
- Nadia
- Purba Bardhaman
- Hooghly
- North 24 Parganas
- South 24 Parganas
Uncertainty Over 45 Lakh Voters
The announcement comes amid controversy over the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in West Bengal. Currently, the state has 6.44 crore registered voters, but the status of around 45 lakh voters remains under adjudication.
CEC Gyanesh Kumar said that once judicial officers complete the review process, any required supplementary voter lists will be added to the final electoral rolls.
Poll Schedule for Other States
Alongside West Bengal, elections will also be held in Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry on April 9, while Tamil Nadu will vote on April 23.
The counting of votes for all four states and the Union Territory will take place on May 4, determining the new governments in these regions.
