Bumper Voting in West Bengal Election Second Phase as Well: 90% Turnout; Highest Voting in Hooghly

Kolkata: In the second phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections, 89.99 percent of voters had cast their ballots by 5:00 PM. Voting commenced at 7:00 AM, and the polling window extends until 6:00 PM. In the state's East Bardhaman district, the highest voter turnout—92.46 percent—was recorded during the initial ten hours (up to 5:00 PM), while the lowest turnout—86.11 percent—was observed in the Kolkata South district.

Meanwhile, reports of clashes and tension during the polling process have also emerged from certain areas. In other constituencies across the state, voting is proceeding peacefully. Long queues of voters have been witnessed at polling stations. The voters of Bengal are participating enthusiastically in this festival of democracy.

According to data received from the Election Commission, voter turnout stood at 90.34 percent in Hooghly district, 89.44 percent in Howrah, 87.77 percent in Kolkata North, 90.28 percent in Nadia, 89.74 percent in North 24 Parganas, and 89.57 percent in South 24 Parganas. In Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Bhabanipur constituency, 85.51 percent of votes had been cast by 5:00 PM. Contesting against her for this seat is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate, Suvendu Adhikari. Adhikari faced protests in the Kalighat area on Wednesday. As Adhikari arrived in the locality amidst the ongoing polling, Trinamool Congress workers staged a demonstration, raising slogans of "Jai Bangla." During this incident, Adhikari remarked, "Muslims are raising 'Jai Bangla' slogans, while Hindus stand with the BJP."

How Many 142 Seats in the Second Phase?

In the second phase of the state's Assembly elections, a total of 1,448 candidates are in the fray for 142 Assembly seats. In this phase, 41,001 polling stations have been established (comprising 39,301 main stations and 1,700 auxiliary stations), including 25,083 rural polling stations, 14,218 urban polling stations, and 258 model polling stations. In this phase, 8,845 polling stations are being managed entirely by women.

What About Deployment of Central Forces?

The Commission has made extensive arrangements to ensure that the voting process remains free from violence and intimidation, and is conducted in a free and fair manner; consequently, Central Armed Police Forces have been deployed intensively in sensitive areas. The Election Commission has deployed 2,407 companies of central forces. Voters have been arriving at all polling stations to cast their votes since early morning. In this second phase, a total of 1,448 candidates are trying their luck. This phase involves a total electorate of over 3.22 crore voters—including service voters—comprising 1.64 crore men, 1.57 crore women, and 792 persons of the third gender. West Bengal has a total electorate of 6.44 crore voters.

Who Will Win: TMC or BJP?

The primary contest in the state lies between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP, while the Congress and Left parties are also vigorously asserting their strength. The Bhabanipur seat remains the most talked-about constituency in this election, where the main battle is being fought between Trinamool Congress Supremo Mamata Banerjee and the Leader of the Opposition—and BJP candidate—Suvendu Adhikari. Prominent personalities from the Bengali film industry turned out in large numbers to exercise their democratic right and appealed to the public to cast their votes as well. Veteran actor and BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty also arrived at the Kashipur-Belgachia constituency to cast his vote.

Sporting a black T-shirt, a cap, and sunglasses—along with an orange scarf around his neck—Mithun told the media after voting that he had not requested any special arrangements. He expressed confidence that the entire process would remain smooth and peaceful.

How Much Voter Turnout in the First Phase?

Prominent figures visiting the polling stations included the actor-director couple Subhashree Ganguly and Raj Chakraborty (the TMC candidate from the Barrackpore Assembly constituency). They were spotted at a polling booth in Kasba, dressed in everyday attire. After casting their votes, the couple shared a selfie on Instagram—displaying the ink marks on their fingers—and encouraged citizens to participate in the electoral process. In the first phase, voting for 152 seats took place on April 23, witnessing a voter turnout of 93.19 percent. The counting of votes for both phases is scheduled for May 4.