West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026: Why is Election Commission holding polls in two-phases this time?

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday announced West Bengal Assembly poll dates, stating that voting will take place in two phases on 23th April and 29th April. Counting of votes will be done on 4th May.

The state has a total of 294 Assembly seats.

Final electoral rolls of the state has been published as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voters' list. CEC Gyanesh Kumar congratulated BLOs for doing good work during SIR of voter lists, according to PTI.

Why has polling been scheduled in two phases in Bengal this time?

During a meeting held by the EC with political parties on March 9, Opposition parties in West Bengal reportedly urged that the upcoming Assembly elections be conducted in fewer than three phases.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) delegation proposed that the polls be organised in a single phase or, at most, in two phases, instead of being spread across seven to eight phases over a period of nearly six weeks. The party also requested the poll panel to ensure “violence-free” elections in the state. It submitted a 16-point memorandum to the Election Commission, raising various issues including concerns related to security arrangements.

Meanwhile, the CPI(M) also called for the elections to be held in a single phase. The party maintained that conducting polls in multiple phases enables “movement of anti-social elements” between constituencies, which could influence the fairness of the electoral process.

Kumar said, “With regards to the West Bengal elections to be held in two phases instead of eight phases earlier, the Commission has held detailed deliberations and in its considered opinion, it was found necessary to reduce the number of phases and bring it down to an extent where it is convenient for everybody...”

Assembly elections in West Bengal have been conducted in at least five phases since 2011. In the 2021 Assembly polls, the EC organised voting in eight phases.

Bengal election two-phase details

According to the Election Commission of India, the poll process for the first phase, which will cover 152 Assembly constituencies, will commence with the issue of the gazette notification on March 30. The deadline for submitting nomination papers for this phase has been fixed as April 6, while the scrutiny of nominations will be carried out on April 7. Candidates will have the option to withdraw their nominations until April 9.

For the second phase, involving 142 Assembly constituencies, the gazette notification is scheduled to be issued on April 2. The last date for filing nominations for this phase will be April 9, and the scrutiny process will take place on April 10. Candidates can withdraw their nominations until April 13.

Mamata Banerjee's pre-poll move

Just hours before the announcement of the Assembly election schedule, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday declared a ₹500 increase in the monthly honorarium given to purohits and muezzins.

Following the revision, beneficiaries will now receive ₹2,000 per month. The chief minister also indicated that the state government had approved all newly submitted applications from purohits and muezzins seeking the honorarium.

She took to X and said, "I am pleased to announce an increase of ₹500 in the monthly honorarium extended to our purohits and muezzins, whose service sustains the spiritual and social life of our communities. With this revision, they will now receive ₹2,000 per month.”

She further conveyed that the decision reflected the government’s commitment to promoting religious harmony and supporting traditional institutions. The administration, she noted, aims to create an atmosphere where every community and its customs are respected and encouraged.

Banerjee also emphasised that efforts would continue to ensure that those who uphold the state’s spiritual and cultural heritage are given due recognition and assistance.

She also announced that her government would begin clearing the pending dearness allowance (DA) arrears of state employees and pensioners, including teachers, non-teaching staff and employees of grant-in-aid institutions, starting from March this year.

The upcoming West Bengal Assembly election is widely being viewed as a direct contest between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the BJP. The TMC, headed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has remained in power in the state since 2011.

(With inputs from agency)