WB Polls Phase 2: Saugata Roy votes, calls Election Commission 'confused'

TMC MP Saugata Roy cast his vote for the West Bengal polls, expressing confidence in victory and calling the ECI 'confused'. The state saw 18.39% voter turnout by 9 am for the 142 seats in the crucial second phase of polling.

Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy on Wednesday cast his vote at the Parivarikee English Academy polling station in Kolkata as voting for the second phase of West Bengal polls commenced earlier in the day. Roy expressed confidence in TMC's victory in the elections, adding ECI is 'confused' about the electoral process. "I just cast my vote. The voting is going on peacefully. Trinamool Congress will do very well as this place is TMC's stronghold. The Election Commission is confused about the election process. People revolted against SIR and the harassment," he said.

Early Voter Turnout

West Bengal recorded a voter turnout of 18.39 per cent until 9 am on Wednesday, as polling for the remaining 142 seats across the state commenced earlier in the day. Purba Bardhaman stands at the top, with a voting percentage of 20.86 %, followed by Hooghly, which has witnessed 20.16 % polling until 9 am on Wednesday. 18.50 per cent polling has taken place in Nadia; meanwhile, North 24 Paraganas 17.81 % votes. Kolkata North and Kolkata South have experienced 17.28 % and 16.81 % polling, respectively, whereas 17.76 per cent voting has taken place in Howrah.

The main fight in West Bengal in the 2026 elections is between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP. Earlier in the day, West Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari inspected the polling booths in the Bhabanipur constituency. TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee cast his vote at the Mitra Institute polling booth in Bhabanipur.

Phase 2: A 'Litmus Test' for TMC

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.

Key Contests and Stakes

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.

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