West Bengal Sets Assembly Election Dates; Model Code of Conduct Comes Into Force

Kamal Kumar Biswas.TOD.Balurghat

India’s Election Commission has announced the schedule for the 2026 West Bengal Legislative Assembly elections, setting the stage for a two-phase vote across the state next month and triggering the immediate enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct.According to the schedule released by the commission, polling will be held in two phases — on April 23 and April 29. The first phase will cover 152 assembly constituencies, while the remaining 142 seats will vote in the second phase.

In Dakshin Dinajpur district, voting for all six assembly constituencies will take place during the first phase on April 23. Administrative preparations in the district have already begun following the announcement.With the election schedule declared, the Model Code of Conduct came into effect on Sunday. District authorities in Balurghat moved swiftly to implement the rules. Officials began removing political flex boards, banners and posters from public places, including areas in front of the district administrative building, in compliance with election regulations.Election officials said the steps are part of efforts to ensure that the electoral process remains fair and orderly.

The Election Commission has laid out the following timeline for the first phase of polling in the district:

1. Gazette Notification: March 30, 2026 (Monday)
2. Last Date for Filing Nominations: April 6, 2026 (Monday)
3. Scrutiny of Nominations: April 7, 2026 (Tuesday)
4. Last Date for Withdrawal of Candidature: April 9, 2026 (Thursday)
5. Polling Day: April 23, 2026 (Thursday)
6. Counting of Votes: May 4, 2026 (Monday) 

The district will have 1,343 polling stations, along with several auxiliary polling stations to manage voter turnout.According to election authorities, the total number of registered voters in the district stands at 1,100,598. This includes 563,680 male voters, 536,878 female voters, and 40 transgender voters.

Distribution Centers (DC) and Receiving Centers (RC) have been designated for the constituencies.For Kushmandi (SC) and Harirampur, both DC and RC will be located at Buniadpur College, where the counting of votes will also take place.For Kumarganj, Balurghat, and Tapan (ST), the DC and RC — along with counting — will be conducted at Balurghat College.

For Gangarampur (SC), the DC and RC will be set up at Zilla Parishad Land (Aviyatri Ground), while vote counting will take place at Balurghat College.Officials said surveillance and administrative monitoring across the district will be intensified in the coming weeks to ensure the election is conducted peacefully and in accordance with Election Commission guidelines.Voters seeking information or assistance can contact the Election Commission’s helpline at 1950.