Kolkata, Apr 22 (V7N) — The first phase of the assembly elections in the Indian state of West Bengal will be held on Thursday (April 23), with political activity reaching its peak across the region.

High-stakes election battle

The election is being viewed as politically significant for both the ruling and opposition parties ahead of India’s broader national political landscape, including the upcoming 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and opposition groups are treating the contest as a major test of strength.

Voting phases and schedule

Voting in West Bengal is part of a multi-phase election process across several Indian states, including:

  • Assam

  • Kerala

  • Tamil Nadu

  • Puducherry

The overall election schedule runs from April 9 to April 29, with results expected on May 4.

West Bengal Phase 1 details

In West Bengal:

  • Voting will be held on April 23 and April 29 (two phases)

  • The first phase covers 152 assembly seats across 16 districts

  • A total of 1,478 candidates are contesting

Campaigning for this phase ended on April 21 evening, following the mandatory 48-hour silence period.

Districts involved

The first-phase polling will take place across districts including:
Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Cooch Behar, North and South Dinajpur, Malda, Jhargram, Purulia, Bankura, Birbhum, Murshidabad, East and West Midnapore, and West Burdwan.

Security and scale

Election authorities have deployed massive resources:

  • Millions of voters across participating states

  • Large numbers of polling and security personnel

  • Extensive monitoring and observation teams

Electoral uncertainty

Analysts say the outcome remains uncertain due to recent voter list revisions, which removed over 90 lakh names and added more than 7 lakh new voters in West Bengal.

Other voting activity

Alongside this election cycle, by-elections have also been held or scheduled in several Indian states including Goa, Karnataka, Nagaland, Tripura, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.

The upcoming vote in West Bengal is expected to be closely watched as a key indicator of regional political trends in India.

END/SMA/AJ