The Election Commission of India is now in the final stretch of preparations for the 2026 Assembly elections in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, with voting in the two states set to unfold on April 23, 2026. In Tamil Nadu, the state will go to the polls in a single phase for all 234 Assembly constituencies, while West Bengal’s poll begins in Phase‑1 with 152 seats across 16 districts on the same day. The rest of Bengal’s 294‑seat Assembly will complete its voting in Phase‑2 on April 29, with vote counting fixed for May 4 in both states.
West Bengal: A multi‑cornered battle in two phases
West Bengal’s 2026 Assembly contest is shaping up as a multi‑cornered fight between the Indian National Congress, All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the CPI(M)‑led Left Front, with the campaign calendar dominated by personalised clashes and high‑stakes seat‑level battles. The state’s voter turnout has consistently been among the highest in India, with 82–85% in the 2021 Assembly polls and 79.6% in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and electoral experts expect another robust 80–84% participation rate in 2026.
The eyes of the nation are on key constituencies like Bhabanipur, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee faces BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari, and Nandigram, where Adhikari, who had defeated Banerjee in 2021, is once again in the fray. Other high‑visibility contests include Baharampur (Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury vs TMC), Kharagpur Sadar (BJP vs TMC organisational strength test), Asansol Dakshin (rematch of established rivals), multi‑cornered fights in Mathabhanga and Domkal, and party‑switch clashes in Raiganj.
Tamil Nadu: Single‑phase, multi‑player contest
Tamil Nadu’s 234‑seat Assembly election will be decided all at once on April 23, in a complex, multi‑player race that has moved beyond the traditional DMK–AIADMK bipolar axis. The DMK‑led Secular Progressive Alliance is contesting every constituency, with the DMK fielding candidates in 164 seats, backed by allies such as the Congress and Left parties. The AIADMK‑led alliance, which includes the BJP contesting 26 seats, is targeting revival, especially in western Tamil Nadu.
A major new variable is actor Vijay, who has launched his party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and is contesting 233 out of 234 seats, marking a dramatic debut into electoral politics. The state recorded 72.73% turnout in 2021, and recent data show that women now form 51.07% of the 5.67‑crore electorate, outnumbering men in 215 constituencies and making them a decisive force.
Key seats and stakes
In Tamil Nadu, high‑profile battles are unfolding in Kolathur (M. K. Stalin vs AIADMK’s P. Santhana Krishnan), Edappadi (Edappadi K. Palaniswami’s stronghold), Perambur (actor Vijay’s debut contest in a DMK‑leaning seat), Chepauk‑Thiruvallikeni (Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin seeks re‑election), and Bodinayakanur (O. Panneerselvam under the DMK banner). The DMK’s aim is to retain power on the back of welfare and governance; the AIADMK‑BJP combine is banking on consolidation and anti‑incumbency, while TVK’s entry has added a layer of unpredictability.
With Bengal’s intense multi‑front contest, Tamil Nadu’s evolving Dravidian‑plus landscape, and both states voting on the same day, the Election Commission’s 2026 schedule has turned April 23 into one of the most demanding and closely watched election days in recent years, with the outcomes likely to shape India’s regional and national political map for the rest of the decade.
