West Bengal Election Assembly 2026: Schools, colleges & offices closed; check the latest update here
West Bengal Dry Day Dates and Selection Phases
West Bengal Assembly elections will be held in two phases in all 294 constituencies.
Phase 1: Voting will be held on April 23 in 152 electoral districts in 16 districts. The sale of alcohol will be prohibited in these regions from April 21 to April 23 (until 18.00).
Phase 2: Voting will be held in 142 constituencies in seven districts. There will be dry days in these regions from April 27 to April 29 (until 18.00) and alcohol sales will be restricted during this period.
Closing List by Region Announced
Phase 1 (16 districts, 152 constituencies): The districts where voting will be held in Phase 1 include: Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong, Darjeeling, Uttar Dinajpur, Dakshin Dinajpur, Malda, Murshidabad, Birbhum, Paschim Bardhaman, Bankura, Purulia, Paschim Medinipur, Purba Medinipur and Jhargram.
The state government declared a public holiday at the polling stations on April 23 and April 29 to ensure that voters can vote comfortably without any disruption.
Schools and colleges will remain closed on polling days. Banks in the affected areas will also be closed to promote smooth voting. However, essential services such as hospitals, pharmacies, emergency services, public transportation and utilities will continue to operate as usual without any interruption.
Tamil Nadu Dry Day Rule
Similar restrictions will be imposed in Tamil Nadu 48 hours before the vote on April 23, including re-voting dates if any.
