West Bengal is voting today, April 29, 2026, in the second and final phase of the 2026 Assembly Elections. Polling is underway across 142 constituencies, covering major districts including Kolkata, Howrah, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Nadia, Hooghly, and Purba Bardhaman. Voting began at 7:00 AM and will continue till 6:00 PM. The results for all 294 seats will be declared on May 4, 2026.
Phase 2: Key Numbers at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Voting Date | April 29, 2026 (Wednesday) |
| Polling Time | 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM |
| Constituencies | 142 seats |
| Total Voters | 3.22 crore |
| Total Candidates | 1,448 (1,228 men, 220 women) |
| First-Time Voters (18-19 age) | 4,12,668 |
| Voters Above 100 Years | 3,243 |
| Result Date | May 4, 2026 |
The Biggest Battle: Mamata Banerjee vs Suvendu Adhikari in Bhabanipur
The most closely watched constituency in this phase is Bhabanipur, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) is facing Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP. This contest has become the defining face-off of the entire 2026 election cycle.
Mamata Banerjee has won from Bhabanipur three times before, including a bypoll victory in 2021 with a margin of over 58,000 votes. However, the Bhabanipur constituency has lost around 51,000 voters due to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls carried out before this election, which could make the contest tighter than previous years.
Suvendu Adhikari, who had defeated Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram in the 2021 elections by 1,956 votes, is now contesting from Bhabanipur in a direct challenge to the Chief Minister on her home ground. Adhikari has publicly stated he will defeat Mamata and that the BJP will form a full majority government in the state.
Which Districts Are Voting in Phase 2
The 142 constituencies going to poll today largely cover the southern districts of West Bengal, which have traditionally been strongholds of the Trinamool Congress. The districts include:
- Kolkata
- Howrah
- North 24 Parganas
- South 24 Parganas
- Nadia
- Hooghly
- Purba Bardhaman
For the BJP, breaking into TMC’s dominance across these districts is the central challenge of Phase 2. For the TMC, holding this ground means retaining power for a historic fourth consecutive term under Mamata Banerjee.
Phase 1 Had Record Turnout of 92.72 Percent
The first phase of the West Bengal election, held on April 23, 2026, recorded a historic voter turnout of 92.72 percent across 152 constituencies, the highest since independence. Election officials are hoping for similarly strong participation in Phase 2 as well.
The high turnout in Phase 1 was partly attributed to the SIR exercise, which removed around 90 lakh voters from the electoral rolls. Many voters came out to cast their ballots out of concern that their names might be deleted before future elections. The Election Commission of India had deleted around 9 million voters from West Bengal’s rolls, reducing total eligible voters from 7.66 crore to approximately 6.82 crore.
Security Arrangements
Security has been tightened significantly across all phase 2 districts. Central armed forces and state police personnel have been deployed in large numbers at sensitive and hyper-sensitive polling booths. Around 2,473 individuals have been detained as a precautionary measure by authorities. The Election Commission has also introduced a dedicated helpline for citizens to report any electoral violations during polling.
Early reports from the ground indicate that voting has begun smoothly across most constituencies. Some minor incidents have been reported in isolated pockets, with TMC alleging clashes in Bhangar and BJP workers claiming disturbances in certain Nadia booths. Election officials say these are being monitored and addressed.
What Is at Stake
This is the final phase of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly Election. With 152 seats decided in Phase 1 and 142 in Phase 2, the full 294-seat assembly picture will only emerge when votes are counted on May 4, 2026. The TMC had won 215 out of 294 seats in the 2021 assembly elections.
For the TMC, a fourth consecutive victory would cement Mamata Banerjee’s position as one of India’s most dominant regional leaders. For the BJP, any significant gains in the southern districts and a potential victory in Bhabanipur would mark a historic breakthrough in a state the party has been trying to crack since 2021.
Result Date and What Comes Next
Votes will be counted on May 4, 2026. The tenure of the current West Bengal Legislative Assembly ends on May 7, 2026. The new government will need to be sworn in before that date. If the TMC wins a majority, Mamata Banerjee is expected to be sworn in for a fourth term as Chief Minister. If the BJP secures a majority or a coalition majority, Suvendu Adhikari is widely seen as the party’s choice for Chief Minister.
Shubhendu Adhikari inspected the polling station in Bhawanipur and offered prayers at the Hanuman temple.
With both the ruling and opposition parties banking on the support of voters as well as God, Bengal opposition MP Shubhendu Tiwari on Wednesday inspected a polling station in the Bhawanipur assembly constituency and Worshiped at the Hanuman temple in the area.
Suvendu Adhikari is directly contesting against the current Chief Minister from Bhawanipur seat. This is one of the most high profile contests in the second phase of West Bengal elections.
Violence and vandalism were reported during the initial hours of polling in Bengal.
Incidents of violence and vandalism were reported in parts of West Bengal in the early hours of voting for the second phase of assembly elections on Wednesday. According to PTI, such incidents have been reported from many places including Chapra, Shantipur, Neemtala and Bhangarh.
TMC supporters are accused of these incidents, police have registered a case and according to the report, the injured person said that he was attacked by 15-16 supporters who were TMC supporters.
——- PTI
Who will win West Bengal, who has more votes in today’s Phase 2 voting?
In the second phase of voting in West Bengal today, the seats of many big faces are at stake, one of which is Mamata Banerjee. She is contesting from Bhawanipur seat and here Suvendu Adhikari is from BJP. Today everyone’s eyes are mostly on this seat.
