Polling for the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections commenced on Thursday across 152 constituencies, with nearly 3.6 crore voters eligible to cast their ballots amid heightened security arrangements across 16 districts.
Kolkata, April 23 — The first phase of voting for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections began on Thursday morning, marking a crucial start to one of the country’s most closely watched state polls. Voting is underway across 152 constituencies spread over 16 districts, with long queues visible outside several polling stations from the early hours.
Election officials reported brisk voter participation soon after polling opened, with women, young voters and senior citizens turning out in significant numbers. The phase covers a broad cross-section of the state, including border districts, tea garden regions, tribal belts, rural constituencies and key urban centres.
Polling Across 16 Key Districts
The constituencies voting in the first phase are located in districts including Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Cooch Behar, Uttar Dinajpur, Dakshin Dinajpur, Malda, Murshidabad, Birbhum, Paschim Bardhaman, Purulia, Bankura, Jhargram, Paschim Medinipur and Purba Medinipur.
These regions are politically significant as they represent diverse voter groups and demographic segments, ranging from tea plantation workers in North Bengal to tribal communities in western districts and minority-dominated areas in parts of central and northern Bengal.
According to the Election Commission, approximately 44,000 polling stations have been established for this phase to facilitate the voting process.
Security Tightened Across Sensitive Booths
Authorities have put in place extensive security measures to ensure smooth and peaceful polling. A total of 2,407 companies of central armed forces have been deployed across the state for the first phase.
In addition to security personnel, surveillance teams, video monitoring systems and special election observers have been stationed at booths identified as sensitive and highly sensitive. Quick response teams are also on standby to address complaints, law-and-order issues or any disruption to the polling process.
The heightened deployment reflects the significance of the election and the state’s history of politically charged contests, particularly in sensitive border and rural constituencies.
Suvendu Adhikari Appeals for Peaceful Voting
Leader of the Opposition and senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari visited Nandigram early on Thursday and inspected several polling stations.
During his visit, Adhikari interacted with polling agents and urged that the election process remain peaceful. He also called on the administration to ensure that voters are able to cast their ballots freely and fairly.
His visit to Nandigram carries political significance, given the constituency’s prominence in recent state electoral contests and its symbolic importance in West Bengal politics.
1,478 Candidates in the Fray
The first phase features a crowded electoral field, with 1,478 candidates contesting across the 152 seats. The list includes senior ministers, prominent opposition figures, former legislators and first-time candidates.
Political parties are closely monitoring turnout trends, especially in North Bengal, border districts, rural regions and minority-concentrated constituencies, as these areas are expected to play a decisive role in shaping the broader electoral narrative.
Why This Phase Matters
The opening phase is widely seen as critical in setting the tone for the remaining stages of the election. Early turnout figures, voter sentiment and the performance of major parties in these diverse constituencies are likely to influence campaign momentum in subsequent rounds.
With multiple politically sensitive districts voting in the first phase, the results and turnout patterns could offer early indicators of the state’s electoral direction.
What Comes Next
Polling will continue through subsequent phases as scheduled by the Election Commission, with counting of votes to take place after the completion of all rounds.
Political observers say the trends emerging from this first phase will be closely analysed by parties and analysts alike, as West Bengal heads into the next stages of what is expected to be a closely contested election.
inputs and images : Hindustan samachar
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Edited By D.Rishidhar Reddy
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