West Bengal Assembly Election Phase 1 Underway; 152 Seats Go to Polls Across 16 Districts

Kolkata: The first phase of the West Bengal assembly election got underway on Thursday, with voting commencing in 152 constituencies spread across 16 districts. Over 3.60 crore voters — including 1.75 crore women and 465 transgender voters — are eligible to cast their ballots, with 1,478 candidates in the fray.

The Left Front, which ran a campaign marked by strong public participation and widespread acceptance of its candidates — a significant proportion of whom are young — is seen to have made a notable impression on the electorate. Observers assess that Bengal's voters are poised to deliver a strong rebuff to the Trinamool Congress's record of violence and corruption on one hand, and the BJP's divisive politics on the other.

The special intensive revision (SIR), which resulted in the deletion of 91 lakh names, has been a major source of political controversy in the run-up to polling.

More than 8,000 polling stations have been identified as requiring heightened vigilance. Security arrangements are extensive, with 2,450 companies of Central Armed Paramilitary Forces — approximately 2.5 lakh personnel — deployed across the state, along with 2,193 Quick Response Teams and surveillance units.

The second phase of polling is scheduled for April 29, with vote counting for West Bengal set for May 4.