The upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal are likely to take place in two to three phases, and most political parties have agreed to this, stating that it would be easier than the previous multi-phase election process.
Preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal are underway, and officials from the Election Commission of India visited the state for this purpose. The officials met representatives of several political parties to gauge their preparedness for the upcoming Assembly elections which is likely to be held in April-May 2026. Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, along with other officials, met representatives of several political parties in Kolkata.
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Political representatives from All India Trinamool Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Indian National Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, National People's Party, and the All-India Forward Bloc attended the consultations.
BJP raises security concerns ahead of polls
A delegation from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) submitted a 17-point memorandum to the Election Commission highlighting concerns over law and order during the election period.
The party called for the deployment of central security forces to supervise both polling and counting operations. It also suggested stricter voter verification at polling stations and equal representation of central and state government employees in polling teams.
The BJP further proposed that booths with polling percentages exceeding 85 per cent or those with a history of violence should be classified as sensitive locations. The party also recommended that vote counting should be conducted only at district and sub-divisional headquarters and asked the Election Commission to deploy security forces in advance so they can familiarise themselves with local areas.
Mamata Banerjee alleges EVM manipulation
Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee raised concerns about possible manipulation of Electronic Voting Machines and alleged that voters’ rights were being undermined even before the election process begins. Speaking during the Election Commission’s visit to the state, Banerjee questioned discrepancies in the ongoing voter list revision process and claimed that attempts were being made to suppress voting rights.
Responding to the allegations, Gyanesh Kumar said the revision exercise was intended to ensure that all eligible voters are included while ineligible names are removed from the electoral rolls.
Impeachment move against CEC gathers momentum
In a related development, opposition parties led by the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) are reportedly gathering signatures to initiate an impeachment motion against Gyanesh Kumar.
According to political sources, the campaign to collect the required signatures has already begun and the motion could be introduced in Parliament later this week. The move follows an earlier announcement by Abhishek Banerjee, who said the party would begin the process to seek the CEC’s removal.
