West Bengal Assembly Elections: 1,586 Candidates Nominate for Phase One on April 23
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Kolkata, April 7 (NationPress) A significant 1,586 candidates have submitted their nomination papers across 152 Assembly constituencies in West Bengal, gearing up for the initial phase of elections set for April 23.
The deadline for filing nominations for this phase was Monday. By the end of the day, insiders from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal confirmed that 1,586 candidates are competing in this phase.
Interestingly, several candidates have submitted multiple nomination forms, leading to a total of 2,304 nomination forms received by the Commission as of Monday evening.
An insider from the CEO’s office explained that under the regulations of the Election Commission of India (ECI), an individual candidate is permitted to file multiple nominations and from various constituencies.
“However, the current count of 1,586 candidates participating could decrease after the withdrawal period for nomination papers concludes,” the CEO’s office insider noted.
The last date for withdrawing nominations for the first polling phase is April 9, with the examination of the submitted nominations scheduled for today.
During the last Assembly elections in 2021, there were 1,062 candidates who contested in the same 152 Assembly constituencies that are set for polling on April 23, 2026.
Among the 152 Assembly constituencies, the highest number of nominations was recorded from Karandighi in the North Dinajpur district at 23, followed by Mekhliganj in Cooch Behar district with 18, and Cooch Behar (Dakshin) in the same district with 16.
In contrast, the lowest number of candidates filing their nominations comes from Saltora in Bankura district, Chandrakona in West Midnapore district, and Egra in East Midnapore district, with just six candidates competing across these three constituencies.
The elections for the second phase will take place on April 29 for the remaining 132 constituencies, with results expected to be announced on May 4.