Kolkata: Voting began at 7 am on Wednesday across 142 constituencies in the second and final phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections, with heavy security deployment and a high-stakes contest that will determine whether the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) retains its dominance in south Bengal or the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) makes significant inroads.
By 1 pm, voter turnout stood at over 61%, with Purba Bardhaman recording the highest participation. Earlier, turnout was nearly 40% by 11 am.
Polling is underway in key districts including Kolkata, Howrah, North and South 24 Parganas, Nadia, Hooghly and Purba Bardhaman — regions considered the political heartland of the state. Long queues were seen outside polling booths from early morning.
Unlike the first phase, which focused on north Bengal, this round centres on TMC’s traditional stronghold. In 2021, the party had won 123 of these 142 seats, while the BJP secured 18 and the Indian Secular Front (ISF) one.
The spotlight is on Bhabanipur, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s constituency, where she faces Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari in a high-profile contest seen as a symbolic rematch of Nandigram.
Around 3.21 crore voters, including 1.57 crore women and 792 third-gender electors, are eligible to vote across 41,001 polling stations. All booths are under webcasting surveillance, with 2,321 companies of central forces deployed, including the highest concentration in Kolkata.
Voting has largely remained peaceful, though sporadic incidents were reported. Clashes broke out between rival party workers in Bhangar and Khanakul, while allegations of voter intimidation, attacks and the presence of fake polling setups surfaced in several areas. In one instance, crude bombs were recovered near a polling station in Purba Bardhaman.
Technical glitches also disrupted voting at some booths, including a halt in Baranagar due to malfunctioning EVMs. Rain was reported in parts of Kolkata during the morning hours.
Political leaders traded accusations through the day. Mamata Banerjee alleged misuse of central forces, while Suvendu Adhikari dismissed her claims and expressed confidence in BJP’s prospects. TMC leaders, including Derek O’Brien, challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the election outcome, while BJP leaders, including Amit Shah, urged voters to support change.
The Election Commission maintained that polling was largely peaceful despite isolated incidents and said reports had been sought from officials where disturbances were reported.
The results of the high-stakes contest will be declared on May 4.
