"BJP wants to forcefully rig election": Mamata Banerjee alleges violence in West Bengal phase-2 voting

West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC candidate from Bhabanipur, Mamata Banerjee, on Wednesday accused the BJP of attempting to "forcefully rig the election", as voting is underway for phase two of the state Assembly elections.

West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC candidate from Bhabanipur, Mamata Banerjee, on Wednesday accused the BJP of attempting to "forcefully rig the election", as voting is underway for phase two of the state Assembly elections. She also alleged violence against party workers and disruptions to the voting process.

Speaking to the reporters, CM Banerjee said, "Look how our worker was beaten up at night. Just look at this atrocity. What kind of hooliganism is going on? Voting does not happen like this. Voting happens peacefully. It is a festival of democracy." "But they have completely ruined it. The intention is very clear that the BJP wants to forcefully rig the election. Our workers and people are ready to die, but they will not leave the place," she further said.

The second and final phase of the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026 has officially commenced, preceded by rigorous mock polls across the state's high-stakes corridors. The scale of the final phase is massive, covering nearly half of the state's total assembly seats, 142 (out of 294).

The total electorate is around 3.21 crore (Male: 1,64,35,627 and Female: 1,57,37,418 and Third Gender: 792). 1,448 candidates are in the fray, including 220 women at 41,001 polling stations, with over 8,000 managed entirely by women. The second phase of polling is crucial in shaping the electoral trajectory in the state, with 142 constituencies in Bengal going to vote. Authorities have put in place elaborate arrangements to ensure smooth and peaceful polling across regions.

After a record-shattering voter turnout in the first phase, West Bengal enters its second and final phase of polling today. This round is widely seen as the "litmus test" for the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), as voting moves into the party's traditional fortresses in South Bengal and Kolkata. (ANI)