The 2026 Assembly Election in West Bengal saw a good voter turnout with about 78.68 percent of voters having cast their votes by 3 pm on Wednesday, according to Election Commission of India data. Holding the last stage of polling is considered one of the most important stages of election and is conducted in 142 constituencies.
Nonetheless, it was a controversial day full of tension as various sections of the state reported violence, vandalism and disruptions. There were reports of supposed EVM glitches and voting delays in places like Hooghly and a fight in Bally where two persons were allegedly arrested by central forces.
The central forces, especially the CRPF, were heavily criticised by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who claimed that they had been seizing the polling booths and marginalizing the state police. She alleged that she had never witnessed such a democracy and accused the forces of being under the guidance of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Another instance mentioned by Banerjee was that of a Trinamool Congress worker who was allegedly beaten up, raising the question of the fairness of the electoral process.
Banerjee is one of the 1,448 candidates who take part in this phase, and is in a high-stakes fight with the BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari in the Bhabanipur constituency.
In the meantime, the BJP is seeking to better its tally in the last election and win a greater majority, which means that this election is a hotly contested political battle with far-reaching consequences on the future governance of the state.