Parties welcome two-phase West Bengal polls; people will bring down TMC, says BJP

The Election Commission of India announced on Sunday (March 15, 2026) that the West Bengal Assembly elections will be held in two phases. The first phase will take place on April 23 with 152 constituencies going to the polls, followed by the remaining 142 constituencies voting on April 29. This departure from the eight-phase election held in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic marks a significant change for the state's electoral landscape. Major political parties like the Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have welcomed the two-phase polls, with the former expressing their intention to see the BJP "decisively rejected" in the upcoming elections. The BJP has also pledged to implement the Seventh Pay Commission for government employees and provide ₹3,000 per month to women under the Annapurna Lakshmir Bhandar Scheme. The announcement of the elections comes amidst ongoing legal battles regarding the status of over 60 lakh electors who are currently under judicial adjudication. Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Mohammad Salim expressed concern that these individuals may be barred from contesting due to the mandatory voter details requirement in nomination forms, despite being included on the supplementary list. The Election Commission has asked for a report from Kolkata Police and DEO (Kolkata North) regarding violence at Girish Park area during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally.