The Election Commission of India has released a notification for the upcoming two-phase Assembly elections in West Bengal on April 23 and April 29. The polling will commence at 7 a.m. on both days, with 152 Assembly constituencies in the first phase and the remaining 142 in the second phase. The schedule for the West Bengal Assembly elections was announced on March 15, with polling in the state set for two phases.
The states of Assam, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, along with the Union Territory of Puducherry, will have single-phase polling. In light of the elections, the West Bengal finance department has declared holidays on the polling days. Employees in government offices, educational institutions, commercial establishments, and industrial units within the Assembly areas will be granted leave as per the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
The state finance department emphasized that all eligible voters should be allowed to exercise their voting rights without hindrance. Failure to comply with this directive may result in legal consequences. To ensure a peaceful election process, the voting days have been designated as ‘dry days’, prohibiting the sale of liquor. This measure aims to boost voter turnout and uphold the integrity of the electoral process, following the Election Commission’s guidelines.
