Kolkata: The first phase of voting for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections commenced on Thursday, covering 152 constituencies across the state under heavy security arrangements.
Polling began at 7 am, with voters lining up early at booths spread across districts such as Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri in the north, as well as Murshidabad, Nadia, Birbhum, and Hooghly in the southern and central regions.
This phase accounts for more than half of the state’s total 294 assembly seats and is being viewed as crucial for setting the tone of the electoral battle. The contest is particularly significant for the ruling All India Trinamool Congress, which is aiming to retain power for a fourth consecutive term, while the Bharatiya Janata Party is looking to make strong early gains.
According to the Election Commission of India, over 3.6 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballots in this phase, including nearly 1.75 crore women and a small number of third-gender electors.
Security has been significantly intensified, with around 2,450 companies of central paramilitary forces deployed across polling locations. This translates to nearly 2.5 lakh personnel tasked with ensuring peaceful voting. Authorities have identified more than 8,000 polling booths as highly sensitive.
Districts including Malda, Uttar Dinajpur, Cooch Behar, Purba Bardhaman, along with Murshidabad and Birbhum, are under special surveillance to prevent any untoward incidents.
In addition to security forces, thousands of quick response teams, surveillance units, and flying squads have been deployed to maintain law and order and ensure that the electoral process remains free and fair.
Officials reported that polling was largely peaceful in the early hours, with steady voter turnout observed across multiple regions.
