TMC confident of Kolkata sweep, unconcerned by security: Bandyopadhyay

TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay expressed confidence in winning all 11 Kolkata seats, stating security is not a concern for his party but condemned the ECI for deleting votes. The second phase of polls saw a 61.11% turnout by 1 pm.

Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay on Tuesday said that security arrangements during elections were not a concern for his party, while expressing confidence in the party's performance in Kolkata. Speaking to ANI, Bandyopadhyay stated that the Trinamool Congress had won all 11 seats in Kolkata in the previous election and expressed confidence that the party would repeat the same performance this time. "The nature of security arrangements is not our concern. In the last election, the Trinamool Congress secured 11 out of 11 seats in Kolkata, and this time as well, it will win all 11 seats. If security is tight, then that is fine--we also want peaceful voting. However, I strongly condemn the way the Election Commission of India has deleted lakhs of votes," he said.

West Bengal Records 61.11% Turnout Till 1 PM

West Bengal recorded a voter turnout of 61.11 per cent till 1 pm on Wednesday, as polling is underway for 142 Assembly seats in the second phase of the state elections. According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), Hooghly topped the districts with a turnout of 64.57 per cent, followed by Howrah at 60.68 per cent. Kolkata North recorded 60.18 per cent polling, while Kolkata South registered 57.73 per cent turnout during the same period. Nadia also saw a significant participation, recording a voter turnout of 61.41 per cent till 1 pm.

TMC Faces 'Litmus Test' in Phase Two

The main fight in West Bengal in the 2026 elections is between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP. The second phase of the polling is widely seen as the 'litmus test' for the Trinamool Congress (TMC), as voting moves into the party's traditional fortresses in South Bengal and Kolkata.

The second phase covers 142 out of 294 seats in West Bengal. The total electorate is around 3.21 crore, with 1,64,35,627 men, 1,57,37,418 women and 792 transgender voters.1,448 candidates are in the fray, including 220 women at 41,001 polling stations, with over 8,000 managed entirely by women. While 142 seats are up for grabs, all eyes are on the 'Big Five' urban contests. Apart from the high-stakes seat of Bhabanipur, Tollyganj, the heart of the Bengali film industry, is a high-profile, star-studded battle. In the 2021 elections, the TMC dominated this specific belt, winning 123 of these 142 seats. For the BJP, this phase is about making inroads into the urban "bhadralok" vote and the Matua community. For the TMC, it is about holding the line to ensure a fourth consecutive term for Mamata Banerjee.

The counting of votes will take place on May 4. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)