A major political announcement is expected this afternoon as the Election Commission prepares to reveal the schedule for the upcoming Assembly elections. The poll dates will be announced at 4 PM today during a press conference at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi. According to sources, the West Bengal Assembly election is likely to be conducted in three phases, with voting expected on April 22, April 26, and April 30. The counting of votes is likely to take place on May 3.
The announcement will be made by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar along with the full bench of the Election Commission. Apart from West Bengal, the poll schedule for Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and the Union Territory of Puducherry will also be announced during the press conference.
Sources indicate that the Election Commission has decided to significantly reduce the number of voting phases in West Bengal this time. The 2021 Assembly election in the state was conducted in eight phases, which had drawn criticism and intense political debate. This time, the Commission is reportedly planning to complete the entire polling process in just three phases.
Despite the reduction in phases, security arrangements are expected to remain extensive. Considering West Bengal’s history of election-related violence, a large deployment of central security forces is likely across sensitive areas. Additional election observers and surveillance measures may also be introduced to ensure a free and fair electoral process.
Meanwhile, another major issue continues to loom over the election process — the state’s voter list is still not fully finalized. The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls is ongoing, and more than 6 million voter names are still marked as “under consideration.”
Following directions from the Supreme Court, judicial officers appointed by the Calcutta High Court are currently reviewing discrepancies in the voter data. Over 700 officials are engaged in verifying records across the state. On February 28, the Election Commission published an incomplete voter list that showed 6,006,675 names under verification.
Recent reports suggest that around 1.8 million of those cases have already been resolved. In districts such as Bankura and Purulia, the verification process has been largely completed. However, significant work remains in districts like Murshidabad, South 24 Parganas, Uttar Dinajpur, and Malda, where the number of pending voter cases was comparatively higher.
Election Commission officials have indicated that even after the poll schedule is announced, verification of pending voter names will continue. Any names cleared before the last date for filing nominations will be added to the electoral roll, allowing those individuals to cast their votes.
With the first phase of voting likely after the Bengali New Year, possibly beginning from April 22, it remains uncertain whether all pending voter cases will be resolved in time. Since a finalized electoral roll is a fundamental requirement for conducting elections, the issue may once again reach the courts once the poll schedule is officially announced.
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