West Bengal Election 2026: Phase 1 Voting for 152 Seats Tomorrow Amid Massive Security

The first phase of the West Bengal Assembly Elections is set to commence this Thursday, covering 152 constituencies across the state. The Election Commission has implemented stringent security measures to ensure a peaceful voting process. The campaign for this phase has been dominated by intense debates over food habits, cross-border infiltration, the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), and revised electoral rolls. Both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) have exerted maximum effort to woo voters in 152 constituencies across North Bengal and several southern districts ahead of the April 23 polling context.

Voter Demographics and Polling Preparations

60 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballots in this phase. 75 crore female voters, and 465 third-gender voters. Voting is scheduled to begin at 7:00 AM. All necessary arrangements, including the delivery of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to polling stations and the installation of CCTV cameras, have been completed to maintain transparency.

Unprecedented Security: One Soldier per 100 Voters

5 lakh central security personnel across 2,407 companies. This ensures an average of one security personnel for every 100 voters. In comparison to the 2021 elections, which saw the deployment of 725 companies, the current numbers represent a massive increase. Also, liquor shops have been closed 4-5 days in advance, a 12-hour ban on motorcycles has been imposed, and outsiders have been moved out of the polling areas. All activities are being monitored via a centralized control room.

Political Rhetoric and Allegations

The political atmosphere has reached a boiling point ahead of the first phase. Union Home Minister Amit Shah claimed that there would be 'No Khela' (no games) this time and that change is certain in the state. ' Banerjee expressed dissatisfaction with the security arrangements, alleging that the election has been turned into a 'war' and accusing the Commission of favoring the BJP, while she further alleged that BLOs were instructed to provide voting slips to only 25% of voters. Meanwhile, Suvendu Adhikari expressed confidence that the BJP could win 90% of the seats in the first phase, citing support even from Muslim voters.

Key Constituencies and Regional Breakdown

Murshidabad: 22 seats

East and West Medinipur: 31 seats

Bankura: 12 seats

Birbhum: 11 seats

West Bardhaman: 9 seats

Purulia: 9 seats

Jhargram: 4 seats

Nandigram remains the highest-profile seat in East Medinipur, where Suvendu Adhikari previously defeated Mamata Banerjee by a narrow margin. Other key battles include Kharagpur Sadar, where BJP's Dilip Ghosh is contesting, and Murshidabad, where the TMC won 20 out of 22 seats in the previous election.

Past Election Performance

In the previous assembly elections, the TMC secured 92 of the 152 seats currently going to polls, while the BJP won 59 seats. Both parties are now striving to improve their tallies. This first phase is widely seen as a trendsetter for the remainder of the West Bengal elections. The final results of this democratic exercise will be revealed on May 4.