As the political mercury begins to rise ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly Elections, a major administrative development has taken center stage. Sources indicate that the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal is preparing a formal recommendation to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to conduct the upcoming polls in a single phase.

The CEO’s office, led by Manoj Kumar Agarwal, believes that a single-day poll would streamline administrative logistics and reduce voter fatigue.
Currently, the state is in the final stages of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with Booth Level Officers (BLOs) working overtime to ensure a clean voter list before the official notification.

While the state office is pushing for a single-phase schedule, the ultimate decision lies with the Election Commission of India (ECI) in New Delhi. A high-level meeting is expected in the coming weeks between the ECI and the Union Home Ministry to assess the availability of Central Paramilitary Forces. The security matrix will be the deciding factor in whether the ECI greenlights this proposal.