National, April 29: Early voter participation in the second phase of the 2026 Assembly elections in West Bengal reached 18.39 per cent by 9 am on Wednesday, as polling got underway across 142 constituencies spanning key regions of the state.
Initial figures released by election authorities showed Purba Bardhaman recording the highest turnout at 20.86 per cent, followed by Hooghly with 20.16 per cent. Nadia registered 18.50 per cent polling, while North 24 Parganas reported 17.81 per cent turnout during the same period.
In urban centres, participation remained moderate. Kolkata recorded 17.28 per cent turnout in Kolkata North and 16.81 per cent in Kolkata South, while Howrah saw 17.76 per cent of voters casting their ballots by mid-morning.
The second phase is considered politically significant, covering large parts of South Bengal and the Kolkata region, traditionally viewed as strongholds of the Trinamool Congress. The electoral contest is largely centred around a direct मुकाबला between the ruling party and the Bharatiya Janata Party, which is mounting a strong challenge.
Senior political figures were seen engaging with the process early in the day. Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, visited polling stations in the Bhabanipur constituency to assess arrangements. Meanwhile, Abhishek Banerjee, national general secretary of the TMC, cast his vote at the Mitra Institute polling booth in the same constituency.
With 142 of the total 294 Assembly seats going to polls in this phase, the exercise is being closely watched as a decisive test for the ruling party’s hold over its core regions. The electorate for this phase comprises approximately 3.21 crore voters, including over 1.64 crore men, 1.57 crore women, and 792 transgender voters.
