New Delhi, April 23 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on voters to take part in large numbers as West Bengal entered the first phase of its Assembly elections on Thursday, with polling underway across 152 constituencies. PM Modi posted on X, “Phase 1 of the West Bengal Assembly elections takes place today. I urge all citizens to participate in this festival of democracy with full strength. I especially appeal to my young friends and to the women of West Bengal to vote in large numbers.”Voting began at 7:00 a.m. as West Bengal kicked off the first phase of its Assembly elections across 152 constituencies spread over 16 districts, marking the opening of a crucial and closely watched electoral contest in the state. Long queues of voters were seen outside polling stations early in the morning, with citizens actively participating in the democratic exercise. At Primary Health Centre No. 1, voters were seen standing in line to cast their votes, while at Booth No. 12/176, polling also got underway with steady turnout reported in the initial hours.

Around 3.6 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in this phase, which will decide the fate of 1,478 candidates. The constituencies are evenly distributed across north and south Bengal, reflecting the wide geographical and political spread of this high-stakes electoral battle.The Election Commission of India has deployed a record 2,407 companies of Central Armed Police Forces for this phase, making it one of the most heavily secured elections in the state’s history. Officials said the deployment reflects the Commission’s focus on ensuring peaceful and fair polling across sensitive regions.While the number of phases has been reduced compared to earlier elections, security arrangements have been significantly strengthened. The state is witnessing an unprecedented presence of central forces, supported by new Election Commission protocols aimed at the strict enforcement of electoral rules.The current two-phase election schedule marks a sharp reduction from eight phases in 2021 and six phases in 2016, when polling itself was spread across multiple days.

On the political front, the contest is primarily between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is the main opposition in the state. The TMC is aiming for a fourth consecutive term, while the BJP, which won 77 seats in the previous Assembly elections, is making a renewed attempt to form the government.Polling in the remaining 142 constituencies will be held on April 29, while counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.

/IANS