West Bengal Assembly elections 2026: 78.68% voter turnout till 3 p.m.

Voter enthusiasm remained high during the second and final phase of polling in 2026 Assembly elections in West Bengal, with turnout reached 78.68 per cent till 3 p.m., despite intermittent rain across multiple districts.

Early trends indicate that participation could approach the record levels as seen in the first phase on April 23, when 93.19 per cent voter turnout was registered. While polling has been largely peaceful, isolated allegations and minor disruptions have been reported from different regions.

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According to latest official data from the Election Commission, overall voter turnout stood at 78.68 per cent till 3 p.m. Among the Assembly constituencies, East Burdwan emerged on top with a voter turnout of 83.11 per cent.

Bhabanipur, witnessing a direct contest between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Leader of Opposition in Bengal Suvendu Adhikari, registered a voter turnout of 75.66 per cent till 3 p.m., while it was 76.30 per cent in Rashbehari, 74.38 in Ballygunge, 80.77 per cent in Hooghly and 79.79 per cent in Nadia.

While polling largely remained smooth, the BJP alleged EVM tampering in a few areas such as Falta, Budge Budge, and Diamond Harbour. Additionally, sporadic reports of EVM malfunctioning caused temporary disruptions at a few booths earlier in the day.

Moreover, a significant political flashpoint emerged around 11:30 a.m. in the Kalighat area, where Adhikari faced protests from Trinamool Congress supporters who raised “chor-chor” slogans, briefly halting his convoy. Standing at the Kalighat Road–Harish Mukherjee Road crossing, Adhikari alleged that “outsiders” were attacking him and sought immediate intervention from central forces.

The situation escalated when central forces arrived, eventually leading to a lathi charge to disperse the crowd and restore order.

Authorities have maintained tight security arrangements across the 142 constituencies spread over eight districts, which includes Kolkata North (7 seats), Kolkata South (4), North 24 Parganas (33), South 24 Parganas (31), Howrah (16), Nadia (17), Hooghly (18), and Purba Bardhaman (16) with webcasting in place at all polling stations.

A total of 3,21,73,837 voters, including 1,64,35,627 men, 1,57,37,418 women as well as 792 third-gender voters, are eligible to cast their votes in the second phase across 41,001 polling stations, all under webcasting surveillance to ensure transparency.

During the first phase of voting on April 23, a 93.19% voter turnout was registered. The counting of votes will take place on May 4.