Do-or-die battle for Bharatiya Janata Party and All India Trinamool Congress as Bengal votes in final phase today

The high-stakes political battle in West Bengal enters its निर्णायक stage on Wednesday, with voting underway since 7 am across 142 of the state’s 294 Assembly seats in the second and final phase.

The contest has largely boiled down to a direct fight between the ruling All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is aiming to form its first government in the state. While the Indian National Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) are also in the fray, the election has effectively turned bipolar.

Long queues were seen early at several polling booths, pointing to a potentially high turnout after a record 93.17% participation in the first phase held on April 23 across 152 constituencies in North Bengal — the highest since Independence. Both the TMC and BJP have claimed momentum following that strong turnout.

The final phase focuses on South Bengal, a TMC stronghold for over 15 years. The BJP, which performed well in North Bengal in 2021, is now looking to make crucial gains here. In the last Assembly election, the party won only 18 of 77 seats in South Bengal — a region that ultimately secured the TMC’s return to power.

To shift that balance, the BJP has deployed its full campaign machinery, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several chief ministers, in an aggressive push across the region.

Key battles to watch

At the centre of this phase is the high-profile Bhabanipur contest, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee faces BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari — a rematch of their 2021 showdown in Nandigram.

Beyond Bhabanipur, the districts of North and South 24 Parganas — together accounting for 64 seats — are expected to play a decisive role in shaping the outcome.

Several constituencies are witnessing intense contests:

• In Tollyganj, TMC heavyweight Aroop Biswas faces BJP candidate Papia Adhikary.
• Bidhannagar sees TMC’s Sujit Bose in a multi-cornered fight against BJP’s Sharadwat Mukherjee.
• In Panihati, TMC’s Tirthankar Ghosh takes on BJP’s Ratna Debnath.
• Kolkata Port features a clash between senior TMC leader Firhad Hakim and BJP’s Rakesh Singh.
• In Noapara, BJP’s Arjun Singh is up against TMC’s Trinankur Bhattacharjee.

Voter list row and security concerns

A major flashpoint this phase has been the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with large-scale deletions sparking political controversy.

North 24 Parganas recorded over 12.6 lakh deletions, followed by South 24 Parganas (10.91 lakh), Kolkata (6.97 lakh), Howrah (around 6 lakh), Hooghly (4.68 lakh) and Nadia (4.85 lakh). In at least 25 constituencies, the number of deleted names exceeds previous victory margins, raising concerns about its potential impact on results.

Security concerns also persist, with recent reports of crude bomb recoveries and incidents of violence during the first phase heightening tensions.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said central forces will remain in the state for 60 days after polling, citing the risk of post-election violence — a claim the TMC has dismissed as fear-mongering.

The bottom line

For the BJP, this phase is a critical test of whether it can break into the TMC’s southern stronghold on the back of anti-incumbency and campaign momentum. For the TMC, holding South Bengal is key to securing a fourth consecutive term.

Voting will conclude by Wednesday evening, but the final verdict will emerge on May 4 — when it will become clear whether the BJP has achieved a statewide breakthrough or whether Mamata Banerjee has once again retained her grip on Bengal.