West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026 Announced : Scheduled for April 23 and 29

KalimNews, March 15, 2026, Calcutta: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday announced the schedule for the upcoming Assembly elections in five regions—West Bengal, Keralam (formerly Kerala), Tamil Nadu, Assam, and the Union Territory of Puducherry. The terms of these legislative assemblies are set to end in May and June, necessitating fresh elections.

The high-voltage Assembly election in West Bengal will be conducted in two phases, with polling scheduled for April 23 and April 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 4, along with the results of elections in the other states and the Union Territory.

This election marks a significant change from the 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls, which were held in eight phases amid the Covid-19 pandemic. During that election, the first phase of polling began on March 27 and the last phase concluded on April 29.

Leaders from several political parties reportedly urged the Election Commission this time to conduct the polls in two or three phases only, arguing that a prolonged election schedule increases campaign expenses and reduces public enthusiasm for the democratic process.

Security and Election Management

One of the traditional reasons for conducting elections in multiple phases has been to facilitate the smooth deployment of central security forces. West Bengal has witnessed incidents of political violence and loss of lives during previous elections. However, political parties have argued that a significant number of central forces are already stationed in the state, making a prolonged election schedule unnecessary this time.