West Bengal recorded a voter turnout of 39.97 per cent till 11 am on Wednesday as polling for 142 Assembly seats in the second phase continued across the state.
According to the Election Commission of India, Purba Bardhaman reported the highest turnout at 44.50 per cent, followed closely by Hooghly with 43.12 per cent. Among key urban constituencies, Kolkata North registered 38.39 per cent polling, while Kolkata South saw 36.78 per cent turnout. Nadia district also recorded a strong participation rate of 40.34 per cent.
The contest in this phase remains primarily between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Senior BJP leader and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari visited polling booths in the Bhabanipur constituency earlier in the day. Meanwhile, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee cast his vote at a polling station in the same constituency.
A total of 142 out of 294 seats are being contested in this phase, with an electorate of approximately 3.21 crore voters. This includes over 1.64 crore men, 1.57 crore women, and 792 transgender voters. As many as 1,448 candidates, including 220 women, are in the fray across 41,001 polling stations, with more than 8,000 booths managed entirely by women.
Key attention is also on several high-profile urban constituencies, including Bhabanipur and Tollyganj, the latter known as the hub of the Bengali film industry.
In the 2021 Assembly elections, the TMC secured a dominant victory in this belt, winning 123 of the 142 seats. For the BJP, this phase presents an opportunity to expand its presence among urban “bhadralok” voters and the Matua community. For the TMC, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the focus remains on retaining control and aiming for a fourth consecutive term.
The counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.
-ANI
