Early hours of polling saw disruptions at several booths due to technical issues in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), briefly slowing down the voting process in some areas
Security personnel keep vigil as people wait in queues before casting their votes in the second and final phase of the West Bengal assembly elections, at a polling station in Howrah. (PTI)
Voting in the second phase of the West Bengal assembly elections began on Wednesday amid reports of violence, EVM glitches, and political clashes, as high-stakes polling got underway across multiple constituencies in the state.
Early hours of polling saw disruptions at several booths due to technical issues in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), briefly slowing down the voting process in select areas. Election officials were deployed to resolve the glitches and restore normal polling, according to reports.
Alongside technical problems, sporadic incidents of violence were reported from different parts of the state, including clashes between political workers and allegations of booth-level intimidation. In some areas, polling agents were reportedly attacked or forced out, adding to tensions on the ground.
At booth number 53 in Chapra in Nadia district, a BJP polling agent was allegedly assaulted by “miscreants linked to the ruling TMC”, BJP leaders said, according to PTI. ISF agents were also reportedly thrown out of a booth, triggering protests and counter-allegations between parties. These incidents added to the tense atmosphere during voting.
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In Shantipur, a BJP camp office in ward number 16 was found vandalised on Wednesday morning, police said, according to PTI.
Security forces were deployed in large numbers across sensitive constituencies to maintain order, with central forces stepping in at multiple locations to prevent escalation.
At booth number 140 in Nimtala, polling had not begun even by 7.30am, leading to tension among voters. An official from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer said authorities had sought reports from officers posted in the affected areas.
Tension also erupted at Bel Singh Abaitanik Primary School in the Falta assembly constituency, where BJP candidate Debangshu Panda was met with slogans calling him a “thief”. Central forces carried out a baton charge on the gathered crowd.
Police also warned Kartik Banerjee, brother of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, as well as TMC workers who had gathered near a polling booth, saying no more than four people would be allowed to assemble at one spot, officials said.
As voting progressed, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Trinamool Congress (TMC) traded charges over violence and irregularities. The BJP alleged that its polling agents and workers were targeted in several areas, pointing to incidents such as the reported attack on its agent. The TMC, meanwhile, countered these claims and accused opposition parties of trying to create unrest and disrupt peaceful voting.
April 29, 2026, 11:04 IST
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