Voting Begins in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections

Kolkata: Bharatiya Janata Party candidate from Nandigram & Bhabanipur Assembly Constituencies, Suvendu Adhikari, on Thursday called for peaceful polling as voting got underway in West Bengal during the first phase of Assembly elections.

Speaking to reporters, Adhikari said, "We are Hindus, we are Sanatanis. I offered prayers, offered a 'naman.' I spoke to polling agents of my constituency...Polling should be held peacefully."

The BJP leader also took a swipe at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, raising concerns over the integrity of voter rolls while referring to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. "If there are no dead or fake voters or infiltrators, there is no chance for Mamata to win..." he said.

Meanwhile, the polling for the Assembly elections began in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal (Phase 1) amid tight security on Thursday. The voting will conclude at 6:00 pm today in both states.

Before the start of voting, mock polls were conducted at polling stations across Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections are being held in a single phase today, while West Bengal will witness two phases of polling in the Assembly elections 2026, with the second phase scheduled to take place on April 29.

The counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.

Polling is being held for 234 Assembly constituencies across Tamil Nadu. In West Bengal, the parties are contesting against one another for 294 Assembly seats. As per the Election Commission of India (ECI), the first phase covers 152 Assembly constituencies, while the second phase includes 142 seats.