Hyderabad: As voting began in the second and final phase of the 2026 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao on Wednesday, April 29, praised the conduct of the polls, saying voters in West Bengal are experiencing a more democratic environment.
Reacting from Hyderabad, Rao said that politics in Bengal, which had earlier been associated with violence and intimidation, is now seeing a change. “For the first time, voters are feeling that they are voting in a democratic setup,” he said. He credited the Election Commission of India and poll officials for ensuring free and fair elections.
Polling started at 7 am across 142 constituencies covering key districts such as Kolkata, Howrah, North and South 24 Parganas, Nadia, Hooghly and Purba Bardhaman—regions that form the political and electoral core of the state. Voters were seen lining up early at polling booths amid extensive security arrangements.
The phase is considered crucial in determining whether the ruling All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) retains its dominance in south Bengal or the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) can make significant gains. In the 2021 elections, the TMC had won 123 of these 142 seats, highlighting the importance of this region for the opposition.
At the centre of the contest is the Bhabanipur constituency, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is facing Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari in a high-profile battle seen as a rematch of their 2021 contest in Nandigram.
A total of 3.21 crore voters, including 1.57 crore women and 792 third-gender electors, are eligible to vote in this phase. Polling is being conducted at 41,001 stations, all under webcasting surveillance. The Election Commission has deployed 2,321 companies of central forces across seven districts, with Kolkata receiving the highest deployment.
Rao expressed hope that the improved arrangements would lead to a high voter turnout, reinforcing confidence in the democratic process as the state heads toward a decisive electoral outcome.
