New Delhi: Voter turnout in West Bengal reached 18.39% by 9 am on Wednesday as polling began for 142 assembly seats across the state.
Among the districts, Purba Bardhaman recorded the highest turnout at 20.86 per cent, followed by Hooghly at 20.16 per cent. Nadia saw 18.50 per cent polling, while North 24 Parganas registered 17.81 per cent.
In Kolkata, turnout stood at 17.28 per cent in the north and 16.81 per cent in the south, while Howrah recorded 17.76 per cent.
The main contest in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections is between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Earlier in the day, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari visited polling booths in the Bhabanipur constituency, while TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee cast his vote at the Mitra Institution polling booth in Bhabanipur.
The second phase of voting is considered crucial for the TMC, as it covers its traditional strongholds in South Bengal and Kolkata. This phase includes 142 of the state’s total 294 seats.
The electorate comprises around 3.21 crore voters, including over 1.64 crore men, 1.57 crore women, and 792 transgender voters.
A total of 1,448 candidates, including 220 women, are contesting across 41,001 polling stations, with more than 8,000 booths being managed entirely by women.
Key urban constituencies are drawing significant attention, including the high-profile Bhabanipur seat and Tollyganj—known as the centre of the Bengali film industry—where contests are being closely watched.
In the 2021 Assembly elections, the TMC dominated this region, winning 123 out of 142 seats. For the BJP, this phase is critical to expand its support among urban voters and the Matua community, while for the TMC, the focus is on retaining its stronghold and securing a fourth consecutive term for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
(DD News)