LIVE UPDATES: West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026- Phase Two

LIVE NOW | Major Showdown in Bhabanipur as Phase Two Voting Begins Voting for the second and final phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections is underway across 142 constituencies, featuring 1,448 candidates in the fray.

Key Highlights:

• The Battle for Bhabanipur: All eyes are on the high-stakes contest in the Bhabanipur seat—a Trinamool stronghold held by party chief Mamata Banerjee since 2011. Chief Minister Banerjee is locked in an intense fight with the BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari. The BJP is looking to secure a mandate after improving its tally to 77 seats in the 2021 elections.
• Early Reports of Violence and Glitches: Shortly after polls opened this morning, reports of violence and vandalism emerged in parts of the state. Claims of EVM glitches and delayed voting surfaced in Hooghly, while CRPF personnel reportedly detained two individuals in Bally following a clash over similar allegations.
• CM Banerjee Accuses Central Forces: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has levelled serious allegations against the central forces deployed for the elections, claiming they are working “as per the BJP’s directions.” She flashed a video clip to the media of a Trinamool worker who was allegedly beaten up, questioning the integrity of the voting process.

Security Measures & Controversies:

• Massive Security Deployment: Security has been heavily heightened. Special Electoral Roll Observer Subrata Gupta confirmed that nearly 2,400 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been deployed across 41,001 polling stations in eight districts of South Bengal.
  • Security Features: Each polling booth is manned by four security personnel and at least two webcams. Strong room complexes are guarded by CAPF with CCTV at entry points, and select contingents are equipped with body cameras.
  • Quote: “We are prepared for the worst… we are prepared to face any law and order issue,” Gupta stated.
• Row Over Election Observer: The deployment of UP-cadre IPS officer Ajay Pal Sharma as the election observer for South 24 Parganas has sparked controversy. Following a CRPF search operation in the Falta constituency, TMC supporters gathered outside party candidate Jahangir Khan’s office to protest. Senior TMC leaders have accused Sharma, who has a reputation as an ‘encounter specialist’, of “intimidating” party workers and overstepping his mandate.

Stay tuned for more live updates as the voting progresses.