This is by far the fewest since the Assembly polls of 2001 and the general election of 2004, when the state saw single-phase polls. ADVERTISEMENTDuring the last Assembly elections in 2021, Bengal had voted in an oppressive eight phases, braving not just the heat but a killer pandemic at its worst. This time, the BJP wanted a shorter election — as did the Congress and the Left — and the Election Commission has obliged. Since the five-phase 2006 polls, the Assembly elections of 2011 and 2016 were held in five and seven phases, respectively. The BJP’s official communication to the Election Commission during the full-bench meeting had demanded a single-phase or two-phase election.

Source: The Telegraph March 16, 2026 23:34 UTC