West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026: Phase 1 Voting Begins Amid EVM Glitches and Scattered Violence

Polling Underway in 152 Constituencies Across 16 Districts

The first phase of the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026 commenced on Wednesday, April 23, with approximately 3.6 crore voters set to cast their ballots across 152 constituencies spanning 16 districts. However, the voting process has been marred by technical disruptions and reports of pre-poll violence in several areas.

EVM Malfunctions Cause Delays at Multiple Booths

Electronic Voting Machine glitches disrupted polling at several locations across the state, forcing officials to halt voting temporarily at affected booths.

Murshidabad District:

Booth number 156 at Parsalika Madanmohan Primary School in Beldanga assembly segment witnessed a complete halt due to EVM failure

Voting could not begin on schedule at booth number 212 in Samsherganj constituency

Delays were also reported at booth number 130 in Kandi

Purba Medinipur:

An EVM malfunction was reported from Birulia in the Nandigram assembly constituency, a high-profile seat where Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari is contesting

Cooch Behar:

Polling at booth number 229 in Town High School was suspended for nearly an hour before resuming

Malda:

Voting was delayed at booth number 231 in the Habibpur constituency

Darjeeling:

At booth number 26/31 in Margaret School, Siliguri, polling did not begin on time due to a faulty machine

Violence Reported Ahead of Polling

Tensions flared in several districts during the night preceding polling day, raising concerns about the conduct of free and fair elections.

Murshidabad Incident: Crude bombs were allegedly thrown near Shivnagar Primary School in Naoda, leaving a woman injured. Local resident Abu Taher Khan alleged that the attack was carried out by members of the Amjanata Unnayan Party. Police personnel along with central forces were deployed in the area following the incident.

Cooch Behar Clashes: Tension was reported from Sitalkuchi, an area that witnessed violence during the 2021 Assembly elections. A BJP Kisan Morcha leader was allegedly attacked late at night while returning home. The BJP accused Trinamool Congress supporters of carrying out the assault and damaging his motorcycle, while the ruling party denied the allegations and described the incident as staged.

Massive Security Deployment

The Election Commission has deployed approximately 2,450 companies of central paramilitary forces, comprising nearly 2.5 lakh personnel, for the polls. Security arrangements have been stepped up significantly, with more than 8,000 polling stations identified as highly sensitive for the first phase.

Key Candidates and Constituencies

The first phase features several high-profile electoral battles:

Nandigram: Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari (BJP) faces his former aide Prabitra Kar (TMC). Adhikari, who defeated Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from this seat in 2021, is also contesting from Bhawanipur

Baharampur: Senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury returns to assembly politics after over two decades

Kharagpur Sadar: Former BJP state president Dilip Ghosh takes on TMC's Pradeep Sarkar

Dinhata: State minister Udayan Guha (TMC)

Siliguri: Goutam Deb (TMC)

Mathabhanga: Former Union minister Nisith Pramanik (BJP)

Other key constituencies include Mekhliganj, Sitalkuchi, Darjeeling, Raiganj, Islampur, Balurghat, English Bazar, and Jangipur.

Unusual Visitor Adds Lighter Moment

In a lighter moment amidst the serious electoral exercise, a wandering elephant named 'Ramlal' made an appearance at a polling booth in Jhargram district. The jumbo ambled near Jitushol Primary School in the forested Jangalmahal belt, briefly holding up proceedings before forest officials drove it back into the forest. Local officials noted that Ramlal is a regular presence at major local events in Jhargram.

Voter Statistics

According to Election Commission data, the first phase covers:

Total eligible voters: Approximately 3.6 crore

Male voters: 1.84 crore

Female voters: 1.75 crore

Third-gender voters: 465

Total candidates: 1,452

Election Timeline

Phase 1 Voting: April 23, 2026 (152 constituencies)

Phase 2 Voting: April 29, 2026 (142 constituencies)

Counting of Votes: May 4, 2026

The Trinamool Congress is seeking a fourth consecutive term in power, while the BJP aims to unseat the Mamata Banerjee-led government. The election follows a controversial Special Intensive Review exercise that led to a reduction of around 91 lakh voters from the electoral rolls.

Campaign Issues

The heated campaign saw both major parties clash over several issues:

BJP's Focus:

Implementation of Uniform Civil Code

Cross-border infiltration and demographic change

Allegations of political violence and corruption under TMC rule

Pending dearness allowance for state government employees

TMC's Focus:

Allegations of voter list manipulation through the Special Intensive Review

Continuation of welfare schemes including Lakshmir Bhandar

Promises of housing for all families and piped drinking water

Countering claims about potential bans on fish, meat, and eggs

Counting of votes for all 294 assembly constituencies is scheduled for May 4, 2026.