West Bengal Election 2026 Phase 2 Voting LIVE: Polling begins for 142 seats; over 3.2 crore voters to decide fate of 1,448 candidates

Voting began on Wednesday in 142 constituencies in the second and final phase of the West Bengal assembly elections; It is amidst unprecedented security arrangements and a high-stakes contest that could decide whether the ruling TMC maintains its grip on the southern districts or forces the BJP to open the floodgates of power in the state.

Voting began at 7 am with voters lining up outside booths in Kolkata, Howrah, North and South 24 Parganas, Nadia, Hooghly and Purba Bardhaman districts, which form the political and electoral hub of the state.

Unlike the first phase, where the BJP tried to defend its north Bengal gains, the latest round shifts the fight squarely to the TMC’s strongest belt. The ruling party won 123 of these 142 seats in 2021, leaving only 18 to the BJP and one to the ISF.

– PTI