Malda: Polling officials carry electoral material including Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines as they leave for their respective polling stations from a distribution centre, ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections, in Malda district, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (PTI Photo)(PTI04_22_2026_000172B) | Photo Credit: -

West Bengal Assembly Election Phase I LIVE Updates: West Bengal is all geared up for the first phase of Assembly polls today, as the state will vote for 152 of its total 294 constituencies. The voting is expected to begin around 7 am.

The state will see a tight contest between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), led by chief minister Mamata Banerjee, and the BJP, the main opposition party in the state. TMC is seeking a fourth consecutive term in the high-stakes battle, while the BJP, which secured 77 seats in the previous election, is making a renewed push to form the government in the state.

Bengal will go to polls for the remaining 142 seats on April 29. Counting of the votes will be held on May 4. 

• April 23, 2026 07:07

  Parties exchange jabs ahead of polls: TMC accuses BJP of insulting Bengal after Shah says Kolkata became 'city of slums' under Mamata rule

  Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday alleged that under the rules of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the erstwhile Left Front government, Kolkata had become a “city of slums” where infiltrators were being settled, drawing a rebuttal from the ruling TMC, which accused him of insulting the people of Bengal.

  The remarks sparked strong reactions from the TMC, which accused Shah of denigrating Kolkata and its people.

  In a post on X, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) said Kolkata had long been celebrated as the “City of Joy”, the “City of Love”, the “Cultural Capital of India” and the “Gateway of Eastern India”.

• April 23, 2026 06:54

  How to download Voter ID/EPIC? Quick guide!

  

  How to download your Voter ID (EPIC) online quickly

  Download your Voter ID (EPIC) online in minutes with this simple, no-hassle guide. Follow Businessline for more interesting articles.