West Bengal Assembly Polls: Nearly 90 per cent voting recorded in Phase 2 at 5 pm

After historic voting in the first phase, the second phase of West Bengal Assembly elections 2026 also saw strong voter participation, recording a massive turnout of 89.99 per cent by 5 pm on Wednesday, according to the provisional data shared by the Election Commission of India.

Earlier in the day, data shared by the Election Commission of India (ECI) had put the overall voting figure at 78.68 per cent at 3 pm, eight hours into polling, before the sharp rise in turnout towards the closing hours.

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The trends indicate that voter participation approached the record levels seen in the first phase on April 23, when 93.19 per cent of electors cast their votes.

Among districts, East Burdwan emerged on top with a voter turnout of 92.46 per cent. Hooghly recorded 90.34 per cent, followed by Nadia at 90.28 per cent. North 24 Parganas registered 89.74 per cent, while South 24 Parganas saw 89.57 per cent turnout. Howrah recorded 89.44 per cent.

In Kolkata, several constituencies also reported strong participation. Bhabanipur recorded 85.51 per cent turnout, Rashbehari 85.30 per cent, and Kolkata Port 87.48 per cent by the close of polling.

All these voter turnout percentages have been shared by the ECI at 5pm on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, of the seven districts that went to the hustings, Purba Bardhaman had led the turnout figure till afternoon, followed by Hooghly and Nadia, indicating steady voter enthusiasm throughout the day.

The elections began at 7 am amidst great enthusiasm as voters, cutting across age and social barriers, lined up before booths across seven administrative districts to participate in what is often described as the biggest festival of democracy.

As the morning progressed, there were brief spells of rain in some parts of the state.

Umbrellas came out, but the spirit remained undeterred. While polling was largely peaceful, isolated allegations and minor disruptions were reported.

A significant political flashpoint emerged around 11:30 am in the Kalighat area, where Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari faced protests from Trinamool Congress supporters who raised “chor-chor” (thief-thief) and “Jai Bangla” 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.

In response, Trinamool councillor Kajari Banerjee dismissed his claims as “baseless”, accusing him of attempting to influence voters. The situation escalated further after central forces arrived, eventually leading to a lathi charge to disperse the crowd and restore order. No arrests have been made so far.

The BJP alleged EVM tampering in areas such as Falta, Budge Budge, and Diamond Harbour. The BJP candidate from Panihati, Ratna Debnath, claimed that a blot of ink was covering her party’s symbol on the EVM.

In Bali Assembly constituency of Howrah district, voters became agitated at booths in Don Bosco and Liluah Sohanlal Vidyalaya due to malfunctioning machines, prompting central forces to resort to a mild lathi charge to control the situation.

A Trinamool Congress agent was injured, and two individuals were detained.

Similar complaints of faulty EVMs were reported from booth number 46 in Baruipur Purba, where voting was delayed for nearly an hour, and from booth number 69 in Nabadwip, where polling had to be halted before it even began due to technical issues.

Isolated law-and-order disruptions were also reported in pockets of Hooghly and Howrah districts. Tension prevailed in Hooghly district’s Singur, where Trinamool Congress candidate Becharam Manna led a protest and gheraoed a local police station late at night.

In Kolkata’s Shyampukur, police dispersed a gathering within 100 metres of a polling booth by brandishing lathis to ensure compliance with election norms.

The votes will be counted on May 4.