India, April 23 -- Voters in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu are set to head to polling stations on Thursday (April 23) as the Assembly elections 2026 will begin in both states, marking a high-stakes political contest.

While Tamil Nadu is conducting voting in a single phase across all 234 constituencies, West Bengal will hold polling for 152 seats in the first phase.

The second phase in Bengal is scheduled for April 29.

Both states witnessed intense campaigning led by top political leaders.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah led the Bharatiya Janata Party's outreach efforts, aiming to challenge incumbent leaders.

Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition leaders also actively participated in campaign rallies, contribut...