New Delhi, April 29 (IANS) As voting for the second phase of West Bengal is underway, voter turnout was recorded at 18.39 per cent till 9 a.m.

Polling began at 7 a.m. for 142 constituencies across six districts in West Bengal, including its capital, Kolkata, in the second phase of the two-phase Assembly polls.

The polling process started with mild tension in certain pockets from the very first hour.

In the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency in South Kolkata, which is witnessing a battle between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, the Chief Minister’s brother, Kartik Banerjee, was cautioned by central forces for assembling near a police station with companions in excess of the permitted number.

The central forces cautioned him not to assemble near a polling station with more than four persons at a time.

At Bhawanipur-adjacent Rashbehari constituency, also in South Kolkata, mild tension broke out following allegations that ruling Trinamool Congress activists were not allowing Congress booth agents to enter a particular polling booth. Congress alleged ‘hooliganism’ in the Rashbehari Assembly constituency by the ruling party activists.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday morning issued a social media post in Bengal, giving a call for the voters in these 142 Assembly constituencies to vote in large numbers.

“Today is the second phase of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly elections 2026. I urge all those who are voting today to cast their votes in record numbers to make our democracy more vibrant and participatory. In particular, it is extremely urgent that the women and youth power of West Bengal turn out in large numbers to exercise their voting rights,” the social media post by the Prime Minister read.

Meanwhile, tension prevailed at Singur in Hooghly district since Tuesday night, with the outgoing Trinamool Congress legislator, Bencharam Manna, staging a protest demonstration in front of the local police station, alleging excesses by the security forces.

The polling process at a booth in Santipur Assembly constituency in Nadia district started late due to an EVM malfunction.

Mock polling, mandatory before the actual polling process, was conducted at all polling booths where the elections are being conducted.

Apart from the state capital Kolkata, the six districts where polling is being held in the second phase on Wednesday are North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Hooghly, Howrah, Nadia and East Burdwan.

The second phase of the Assembly polls is being conducted under unprecedented security cover, with the deployment of 2,407 companies of central forces, including Central Armed Police Forces, the India Reserve Battalion, and personnel from armed police wings of other states, in addition to personnel from West Bengal Police and Kolkata Police.

–IANS

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