Voting for the first phase of West Bengal Assembly elections 2026 is today. In the voting to be held on 23rd April i.e. Thursday, voters will use their votes on 152 seats from North Bengal to South Bengal. This phase is considered very important from the electoral point of view because the reputation of big leaders is at stake on many high-profile seats.
This time the elections are not only focused on the fight for power but also on sensitive issues like political dominance, infiltration, citizenship and voter list. Both BJP and Trinamool Congress have given their full strength, while the Election Commission has made strict security arrangements.
How many voters will vote in the first phase?
A total of more than 3.60 crore voters will cast their votes in this phase. These include approximately 1.84 crore men, 1.75 crore women and 465 third gender voters. The voting process will start from 7 am and deployment of CCTV, EVM and security forces has been completed at all the booths.
Atmosphere heated by political rhetoric
BJP leader Amit Shah has claimed that this time “no one will be playing” and change is certain in the state. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee retorted and said, “It must have been played and this time it must have been played badly.” Mamta Banerjee has also made serious allegations against the Election Commission. He says that the Election Commission is working to benefit BJP and voters are being prevented from voting. In this episode, today we know about the five leaders of the first phase of Bengal elections.
1. Suvendu Adhikari from Nandigram
Nandigram has become the most high-profile contest of this election. In the last election, Suvendu Adhikari had defeated Mamata Banerjee by a very narrow margin on this seat. This time too there is a direct contest between TMC and BJP.
2. Dilip Ghosh from Kharagpur
Senior BJP leader Dilip Ghosh is contesting from Kharagpur Sadar seat. The party has strong hopes on this seat because this area is considered an area of BJP influence.
3. Rejinagar seat Humayun Kabir
Humayun Kabir is a popular face in the politics of West Bengal and he is contesting from Rezinagar assembly seat in Murshidabad district. Murshidabad area is considered a Muslim dominated area and the political contest here remains quite interesting. Humayun Kabir is considered to have influence at the local level and he contests elections on the basis of his social influence and public relations.
4. Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary from Baharampur
Senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Choudhary has been contesting elections from Baharampur seat of West Bengal. He has been MP from here for 5 consecutive terms (1999-2024), although he had to face defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He is contesting from this seat in the 2026 assembly elections.
5. Asansol South: Agnimitra Paul vs Tapas Banerjee
Voting for Asansol South Assembly seat will be held in the first phase of West Bengal elections on 23 April 2026. This seat is included in the major urban assembly seats under Phase-1, where voting will be conducted here along with the entire state. Voting in this phase will start from 7 am and tight security arrangements have been made. The results will be announced on 4 May 2026. Asansol South seat is counted among the high-voltage contests, hence the entire state keeps an eye on the voting here.
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