NEW DELHI: Campaigning for the first phase of Assembly elections in both West Bengal and Tamil Nadu ended at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, marking the start of the mandatory 48-hour "silence period" before polling on April 23.
In West Bengal, campaigning concluded for 152 Assembly constituencies across 16 districts after an intense final day of rallies and roadshows by major political leaders, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and Congress leader Sachin Pilot. The constituencies span North and South Bengal, covering districts such as Cooch Behar, Darjeeling, Malda, Murshidabad, Bankura, Purulia, and Birbhum.
A total of 1,478 candidates are contesting in this phase. Voting will take place under tight security with deployment of 2,407 companies of central forces along with state police. Seven districts are under special Election Commission monitoring due to security concerns. Voter-friendly measures such as EVMs and ballot papers with coloured photographs and enlarged candidate details have also been introduced.
The West Bengal election is a multi-cornered contest involving the Bharatiya Janata Party, All India Trinamool Congress, CPI(M)-led Left Front, Congress, and the All India Secular Front. In minority-dominated areas like Malda and Murshidabad, smaller parties are expected to influence outcomes, while in the Darjeeling hills a complex multi-party contest is underway involving regional Gorkha groups and national alliances.
In Tamil Nadu, campaigning also ended for the 2026 Assembly elections, with a single-phase poll set for April 23 and counting scheduled for May 4. The current Assembly term ends on May 10. The state is witnessing a four-cornered contest between the ruling DMK-led alliance, the AIADMK-led opposition alliance, Naam Tamilar Katchi, and actor Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam.
With campaigning over, the Model Code of Conduct has come into force under Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. This restricts public rallies, political advertisements across media platforms, and campaign-related gatherings, including on social media. Political workers not registered in a constituency must leave, surveillance has been intensified in accommodations, and vehicle permissions for campaigners have been withdrawn with strict transport limits for polling day.
Both states have now entered a tightly regulated pre-election phase aimed at ensuring free, fair, and secure voting under heightened administrative and security oversight. (IANS)