Assembly Election 2026 Schedule, Dates & Announcement: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has begun its final round of on-ground assessments in West Bengal, signaling that the announcement of dates for the 2026 Assembly elections may be imminent. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accompanied by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, started a two-day review in Kolkata on March 9. The delegation held meetings with senior administrative and police officials to evaluate preparedness for the upcoming elections.
The visit to West Bengal is the final leg of the Commission’s review tour across states where Assembly terms are due to expire in the coming months.
Assembly Poll Schedule Announcement Likely Soon
The Election Commission typically releases the election schedule after completing field reviews in all poll-bound states. The Commission had already conducted similar assessments in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam, and Puducherry before arriving in West Bengal.
Assembly terms in these states and territories are set to expire between early May and mid-June. West Bengal’s Assembly term ends on May 7, followed by Tamil Nadu on May 10, Assam on May 20, Kerala on May 23, and Puducherry on June 15.
With the Bengal review concluding on March 10, the Commission is expected to announce the election dates shortly afterward, in line with past practice.
New Transparency Measure: 100% Webcasting
For the first time in a multi-state Assembly election cycle, the Election Commission plans to introduce live webcasting at every polling station across the five regions.
Dedicated monitoring teams will oversee the process at multiple administrative levels, including Returning Officers (RO), District Election Officers (DEO), and Chief Electoral Officers (CEO).
The move is aimed at enhancing transparency and strengthening voter confidence in the electoral process.
This approach builds on earlier experiences, as Bihar became the first state to implement 100 percent webcasting during its Assembly elections last year. Previously, the system was mandatory only in about half of polling stations, particularly those categorized as sensitive.
Election Schedule To Consider Local Festivals
During consultations with political parties in various states, including Assam and Kerala, leaders requested that the Commission take local cultural and religious events into account while deciding the polling calendar.
Those familiar with the discussions indicated that the ECI has considered these suggestions while preparing the schedule, as per reports.
With the West Bengal review marking the final step in the Commission’s pre-election assessment process, the stage is now set for the formal announcement of polling dates for the 2026 Assembly elections.
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