Elections are underway in West Bengal as 152 of the state’s 294 seats gear up for polling in the first round of the two phased elections. The second phase of elections would take place on 29 April, with results declared on 4 May.
The election is shaping up to be a strong tussle between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) led by Mamata Banerjee and a resurgent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Several high-profile candidates from both sides have taken centre stage which has intensified the political battle across the state.
For the BJP, the first phase is virtually synonymous with north Bengal. The first phase would determine whether the BJP can still rely on north Bengal as its strong bastion or whether the TMC has managed to claw back lost ground.
West Bengal is voting amid an increasingly polarised battle in which issues such as identity, citizenship have taken over corruption and development out of the public sphere.
The controversy surrounding the West Bengal elections
Amid a tight tussle over the vote of public opinion, a controversy brewed out as a large number of people were left out of the voter list. Overall, 91 lakh names have been deleted from West Bengal’s voter list since the SIR began. The state’s voters have shrunk almost 12%, from 7.66 crore electors in October 2025 to 6.75 crore now. West Bengal had 7.34 crore eligible voters in the 2021 assembly elections.
The Election Commission conducted the SIR in 13 states and Union Territories. In West Bengal, however, it’s different with the introduction of ‘adjudication’ and ‘logical discrepancies.’
A deleted voter must apply to have their name included on the list within 15 days of rejection. Offline appeals have to be submitted at the DEO office, which forwards them to the tribunals for hearing.
139 names have been re-added after the enquiry over deletions.
