Kolkata, Apr 23: Voting is underway on Thursday in 152 constituencies in the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections amid tight security arrangements and a high-stakes political contest that could influence the overall outcome of the polls.
Polling began at 7 am, with voters seen lining up outside polling stations across districts ranging from Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri in north Bengal to Murshidabad, Nadia, Birbhum, and Hooghly in the southern parts of the state, officials said.
The first phase covers more than half of West Bengal’s 294 Assembly seats and is being seen as a crucial test for both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which hopes for an early advantage, and the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), which is seeking a fourth consecutive term.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to participate in large numbers, especially young voters and women, calling it a “festival of democracy” and encouraging people to exercise their franchise on X.
According to the Election Commission, over 3.60 crore voters are eligible in this phase, including around 1.75 crore women and 465 third-gender voters.
A massive deployment of security forces has been made to ensure peaceful polling, including around 2,450 companies of central paramilitary forces. Over 8,000 polling stations have been marked as highly sensitive.
Authorities have placed several districts, including Malda, Murshidabad, Uttar Dinajpur, Cooch Behar, Birbhum, and Purba Bardhaman, under special surveillance. More than 2,000 quick response teams, flying squads, and surveillance units have also been deployed.
West Bengal Governor RN Ravi also appealed to voters to actively participate in the democratic process, saying that every vote plays an important role in shaping the future of the state.
The first phase is politically significant as it includes all 54 seats of north Bengal, a region that played a key role in the BJP’s performance in past elections. In 2021, the BJP won 59 seats in this phase, while the TMC secured 93.
The outcome in north Bengal is expected to be crucial for both parties, with the BJP aiming to retain its influence and the TMC working to prevent early setbacks in the state-wide contest.
This phase is also being closely watched following the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, which led to the deletion of around 91 lakh names. The move has triggered political debate, with the BJP defending the exercise as a cleanup of voter lists, while the TMC has raised concerns over alleged disenfranchisement.
Several prominent candidates are in the fray, including Suvendu Adhikari (BJP, Nandigram), Nisith Pramanik (BJP, Mathabhanga), Udayan Guha (TMC, Dinhata), Goutam Deb (TMC, Siliguri), and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury (Congress, Baharampur).
The second phase of polling will take place on April 29, while counting of votes is scheduled for May 4. (Agency)
