Polling Concludes For WB Assembly Elections, 90% Voter Turnout Till 5 PM
The final phase of polling for the high-octane West Bengal assembly elections concluded at 6 PM on Wednesday, with voter turnout hitting remarkable numbers at 90% before the closing hour.
Till 5 PM, Purba Bardhaman district continued to maintain the lead with a whopping turnout of 92.46%, followed by Hooghly (90.34%), Nadia (90.28%), Howrah (89.44%) and North 24 Paraganas. South 24 Paraganas witnessed a turnout of 89.74% and 89.57% respectively.
The healthy figures highlight an intense wave of voter participation across both states as polling for the 294-member Legislative Assembly drew to a close, setting the stage for counting scheduled on May 4.
The main contest in West Bengal in the 2026 Assembly polls is between the incumbent Trinamool Congress seeking to defend its throne for a fourth consecutive term and the resurgent BJP, looking for a historic victory in the state.
The second phase witnessed various key political figures casting their votes, including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Leader of Opposition Suvendhu Adhikari, TMC General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, BJP candidate and mother of the RG Kar Medical College rape and murder victim, Ratna Debnath, TMC MP Mitali Bag, West Bengal BJP President Samik Bhattacharya, among others.
The second phase of polling, along with a massive voter surge, also witnessed alleged incidents of violence with opposing parties levelling accusations of abuse and intimidation on the rival party.
West Bengal Leader of Opposition (LoP) and BJP candidate from Bhabanipur and Nandigram, Suvendu Adhikari, alleged that he was surrounded and attempted to be attacked by Trinamool Congress (TMC) supporters during his visit to a polling booth in West Bengal amid the 2026 Assembly elections.
The incident took place when he arrived to inspect a polling station, following which a group of TMC supporters raised slogans of “Jai Bengal” and allegedly surrounded him.
In West Bengal’s Panihati Assembly constituency, BJP candidate Ratna Debnath also alleged that she was targeted and threatened by Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers during voting.
Speaking to ANI, Ratna Debnath alleged that she was abused and intimidated, claiming that attempts were made to attack her during her visit to a polling area.
Meanwhile, BJP and TMC polling agents reportedly clashed at booth numbers 147 and 148 at the Ramchandrapur Adarsha Bidyabhaban polling station in the Khanakul assembly constituency.
According to CRPF Sub-Inspector Usha, the voting in the region has resumed peacefully following the “minor incident”. “It was a minor incident. Right now, voting is taking place in a peaceful manner. CRPF’s all-women 240th Battalion is deployed here,” she said.
A violent clash also erupted in the morning near the primary high school in the Hatra Bazaar area, located in the Nadia district. The polling booth is set up at Hatra Bazaar Primary School, where tensions reportedly flared between workers of the All India Trinamool Congress and ISF.
According to the Chapra police, several people have been arrested in connection with the incident. Congress candidate from Chapra (82), Ashif Khan, alleged that TMC supporters and leaders were intimidating voters across the area.
Earlier on Monday, TMC MP from Arambagh Mitali Bag, who cast her vote while sitting on a wheelchair in Hooghly, claimed that her car was attacked during campaigning and alleged that the BJP workers are responsible for the attack.
TMC accused the BJP of attacking Bag’s convoy when she was on her way to attend Abhishek Banerjee’s rally in Arambagh.
The second phase covered 142 out of 294 seats in West Bengal. The total electorate is around 3.21 crore, with 1,64,35,627 men, 1,57,37,418 women and 792 transgender voters.1,448 candidates are in the fray, including 220 women at 41,001 polling stations, with over 8,000 managed entirely by women.
The final phase of the polling is widely seen as the ‘litmus test’ for the TMC, as voting moves into the party’s traditional fortresses in South Bengal and Kolkata.
While 142 seats are up for grabs, all eyes are on the ‘Big Five’ urban contests. Apart from the high-stakes seat of Bhabanipur, Tollyganj, the heart of the Bengali film industry, is a high-profile, star-studded battle.
Key contests in the second phase included Bhabanipur and Tollyganj.
In the 2021 elections, the TMC dominated this specific belt, winning 123 of these 142 seats. For the BJP, this phase is about making inroads into the urban “bhadralok” vote and the Matua community. For the TMC, it is about holding the line to ensure a fourth consecutive term for Mamata Banerjee.
Political parties are interpreting the high turnout in their favour. The first phase witnessed a record voter turnout of 91.78 per cent. While Trinamool Congress said it will win at least 100 of 152 seats that went to the polls in the first phase, the BJP said it is confident of winning 110 seats in the first phase.
The first phase of polling was held on April 23. The main fight in West Bengal is being seen between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP.
The results of West Bengal polls will be declared on May 4, along with the outcome of polls in Assam, Keralam, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. (ANI)
