Election 2026 LIVE: West Bengal votes in Phase 2; Mamata Banerjee among 1,000+ candidates in fray

Voting in West Bengal’s high-stakes Assembly elections will conclude on Wednesday, with over 3.22 crore voters eligible to cast ballots in the second phase across 142 seats. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is contesting from the Bhabanipur constituency in this phase.

A day ahead of polling, tensions escalated over the deployment of IPS officer Ajay Pal Sharma. Trinamool Congress (TMC) supporters staged protests in South 24 Parganas, accusing him of intimidating party workers. While the Bharatiya Janata Party said he was appointed as an observer to ensure free and fair elections, the All India Trinamool Congress alleged misuse of authority for political vendetta.

In another flashpoint, the TMC accused BJP spokesperson Ajay Alok of issuing threats against Mamata Banerjee. Both parties, however, remain confident of victory as polling approaches.

Security has been tightened across the state, with movement restricted along border routes in North 24 Parganas and central agencies, including the National Investigation Agency, deployed in several districts.

Campaigning for the phase ended on Monday, with leaders making final appeals. Mamata Banerjee held a padyatra in Bhabanipur, while Yogi Adityanath and Amit Shah led BJP roadshows in Kalyani and Behala Paschim, respectively.

In an open letter, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he aims to turn West Bengal’s challenges into opportunities, describing his campaign rallies as a “pilgrimage.”

Elsewhere, Vijay visited the Tiruchendur Murugan Temple in Tamil Nadu ahead of election results. Meanwhile, Congress leader K Praveen Kumar alleged possible poll irregularities in Kerala’s Kozhikode district, demanding full VVPAT verification—claims denied by the Election Commission.

Amid a largely bipolar contest in Bengal, the Indian National Congress and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen have pitched themselves as a “third option,” with leaders expressing confidence in their prospects.