West Bengal Assembly elections in 2026 likely to be held in fewer phases

The 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections are likely to be conducted in fewer phases compared to the previous two polls, according to sources from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal.

A preliminary decision on the matter may be taken at a crucial meeting of the Election Commission of India (ECI) on 5 January, which will be attended by West Bengal CEO Manoj Kumar Agarwal and other senior officials from his office.

Sources said the CEO’s office has suggested completing the election in a single phase, or if not feasible, in a maximum of two phases, significantly reducing the multi-phase arrangements seen in previous elections. The 2021 Assembly elections were held in eight phases, while the 2016 polls were conducted over six phases, with the first phase split across two days.

Officials noted that a single- or two-phase election would have both advantages and challenges. “The advantage is that political parties will not be able to mobilise supporters across phases, addressing the traditional complaints of outsider mobilisation and voter intimidation,” sources said.

However, such an arrangement would require a larger deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) on polling day to ensure security. “If the Commission can ensure these arrangements, a single- or two-phase poll is quite feasible,” the sources added.

Meanwhile, the hearing sessions for claims and objections on the draft voters’ list in West Bengal are scheduled to begin on Thursday. A training session for 4,600 micro-observers, appointed to review the hearings, will be held on Wednesday at Nazrul Manch in South Kolkata. These observers include staff from central government departments, public sector undertakings, and public sector banks.

The final voters’ list will be published on 14 February 2026, after which the ECI is expected to announce the dates for the Assembly elections in the state.

With IANS inputs