West Bengal saw a high voter turnout of 78.68% by 3:30 PM during the second phase of assembly polls. Purba Bardhaman led with 83.11%. The phase is crucial for the TMC as polling takes place in its traditional South Bengal strongholds.
High Voter Turnout in Phase 2
West Bengal recorded a voter turnout of 78.68% till 3:30 PM on Wednesday amid the ongoing second phase of polling for the assembly elections
According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), Purba Bardhaman district topped the charts with the highest voter turnout of 83.11% so far, with Hooghly following with 80.77% turnout. Nadia district recorded a turnout of 79.79% while Kolkata North and South recorded 78% and 75.38% voter turnout, respectively, during the same period. Additionally, South 24 Paraganas also saw massive participation of people with 76.75% voter turnout.
High-Stakes Battle in TMC Strongholds
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.
Eyes on 'Big Five' Urban Contests
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)
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