In a departure from the usual spectacle of Indian elections, Amit Shah (Union Home Minister of India) oversaw the BJP's strategy for the first phase of West Bengal's 2026 assembly elections from a control room in Salt Lake, Kolkata. Arriving before 10am, Shah spent over four hours monitoring operations across 152 constituencies. The BJP had meticulously categorized more than 44,000 polling booths into strongholds, swing zones, and weak spots, assigning workers to each booth and clustering them under supervisors. The war room was pivotal in coordinating responses to incidents of violence and monitoring voter turnout in real-time. As reports flowed in, decisions were made swiftly to address any issues, demonstrating a level of micromanagement rarely seen in elections. Shah only left the control center at 2:20pm, after confirming that 75% of voters had already cast their ballots. The second phase of voting on April 29 is expected to be crucial in determining whether the BJP or the Trinamool Congress (TMC) will govern West Bengal for the next five years.