West Bengal’s electoral history is marked by a complex interplay between high democratic participation and systemic violence. From the 2021 Assembly elections and the 2023 Panchayat polls to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the state has witnessed political clashes occurring before, during, and long after the polls close. Consequently, ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, the Election Commission (EC) has flagged over 200 locations across the state as violence-prone.
The Commission has directed District Magistrates (DMs), Superintendents of Police (SPs), and Commissioners of Police (CPs) to visit these areas and undertake confidence-building measures.
In West Bengal, campaigns are in full swing with top leaders from TMC, BJP and Congress intensifying their outreach and sharpening political attacks ahead of the crucial elections.
Cooch Behar, Malda and North Dinajpur, and Darjeeling had reported recurring incidents of violence. In Darjeeling, the EC identified roughly 20 per cent of booths as sensitive in 2024. Among other regions, Murshidabad, North 24 Parganas, and South 24 Parganas have been identified as violence-prone.
In South Bengal, generally known as the "heartland" of clashes, Birbhum, East Midnapore (Nandigram and Khejuri), West Midnapore (areas like Keshpur and Garbeta), and Burdwan are on the radar.
The ECI has asked the security officials to set up mobile, satellite, and wireless communication systems in each polling station. The Commission has also instructed the senior district and police officials to inspect booths and localities that witnessed violence during the 2021 Assembly polls, the 2023 Panchayat elections, and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Mock polls have been made mandatory before voting, while EVMs and VVPATs must be checked before the polling.
The Kolkata Police on Tuesday instructed all police stations under its jurisdiction to immediately execute pending arrest warrants against miscreants. The directive applies to both bailable and non-bailable warrants.
In 2024, the EC deployed nearly 920 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF). As in the previous cycles, the Election Commission plans to deploy central forces to maintain law and order on the ground.
Voting in West Bengal is scheduled in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with counting set to take place on May 4.
