Over 3.6 Cr voters to decide 152 seats in first phase of West Bengal polls

More than 3.6 crore electors across 16 districts will be eligible to cast their votes in the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections scheduled for April 23, according to data released by the Election Commission on Saturday.

The first phase will cover 152 assembly constituencies , marking a crucial start to the two-phase electoral exercise in the state. The remaining 142 seats will go to polls in the second phase on April 29, while counting of votes will take place on May 4.

As per the electoral rolls, the voter base in the first phase includes 1.84 crore male voters, 1.75 crore female voters , and 465 third-gender electors , reflecting a broad and inclusive electorate.

Among the districts, Murshidabad has the highest number of voters at 50.26 lakh , followed by Purba Medinipur (41.60 lakh) and Paschim Medinipur (37.70 lakh) . In contrast, Kalimpong records the lowest electorate at 2.01 lakh .

In north Bengal, Cooch Behar has 22.63 lakh voters , while Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar account for 17.19 lakh and 11.64 lakh electors, respectively. Darjeeling district has 11.10 lakh voters , while Uttar Dinajpur and Dakshin Dinajpur have 19.68 lakh and 11.59 lakh electors, respectively. Malda district accounts for 27.91 lakh voters .

In the western region, Bankura has 29.19 lakh voters , followed by Purulia (22.52 lakh) and Jhargram (9.10 lakh) . Paschim Bardhaman has 19.65 lakh electors , while Birbhum accounts for 26.91 lakh voters .

An Election Commission official said the electoral rolls have been “updated after due revision and verification” to ensure accuracy and inclusiveness.

“All necessary measures have been taken to ensure that eligible voters can participate in the democratic process without inconvenience,” the official added.