Bengal stands apart with two-phase polling schedule

Kolkata: As India prepares for Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry next month, a key distinction has emerged in the polling schedule. While Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry will vote in a single phase, West Bengal will go to the polls in two phases — April 23 and April 29 — a difference that has again drawn political and administrative attention.

As West Bengal heads into the 2026 Assembly elections, the transfer and reshuffle of administrative and police officials have become a key political flashpoint. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has flagged what it calls excessive intervention in the state’s administrative structure.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has questioned repeated reshuffles, saying officials familiar with local conditions are being removed at a crucial juncture, disrupting governance during the election period.

From the Chief Secretary to the Governor, several key positions have seen changes ahead of the polls. TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee has argued that frequent pre-poll transfers create administrative instability and raise concerns over intent, linking the issue to broader questions of institutional trust. Ahead of elections, the Election Commission of India typically orders transfers of officials with long tenures in a district or perceived political proximity.

In West Bengal, however, such changes are often more extensive, involving district magistrates, superintendents of police and other personnel, significantly reshaping the administrative framework before polling. Beyond transfers, several features define Bengal’s electoral landscape. The state often witnesses multi-phase polling, resulting in prolonged enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). There is heavy deployment of central forces, alongside a reduced operational role for state police, creating a layered security arrangement. Many polling booths are classified as “sensitive” or “hyper-sensitive”, leading to heightened surveillance.

The presence of multiple Election Commission-appointed observers further intensifies oversight, with central observers playing a dominant role. Gaps between polling phases, heightened national attention and the perception of West Bengal as a politically sensitive state together contribute to a distinct electoral environment, setting it apart from largely single-phase elections elsewhere.