West Bengal Election 2026 LIVE: Angry voters raise storm over ‘EVM glitch’, nearly 40% turnout so far

West Bengal voting news LIVE: Trinamool Congress’s National General Secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee arrived at a polling booth in Kolkata to cast his vote. His aunt and chief minister Mamata Banerjee is contesting from the Bhabanipur seat, which is among the 142 seats seeing elections today.

West Bengal voting LIVE: Priyanka Tibrwal, the BJP candidate from Entally constituency, got into a verbal altercation at a polling booth in Kolkata where she had gone to cast her vote.

According to news agency ANI, the candidate’s polling agent was reportedly sent out due to the small size of the booth, and a Trinamool agent also joined in the altercation that unfolded thereafter.

Both the agents were sent out.

A video of the altercation has surfaced in which the BJP candidate can be heard shouting at officials present.

West Bengal voting LIVE updates: Taking a dig at the Trinamool Congress after casting his vote in Pursurah, BJP candidate Biman Ghosh said that party was a “private limited company of aunt, nephew” and said it would soon be “shut down”.

“Bengal will transform…TMC Private Limited Company of the aunt and nephew, will shut down. Its workers will have to look for other companies…To people I would like to say – Pehle matdaan, phir jalpaan,” said Biman Ghosh.

Bengal weather today LIVE: One may have to carry their umberellas along as they step out to vote in Bengal today. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a thunderstorm warning for Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly, North 24 Parganas, West Midnapore, Bankura and East Bardhaman districts, and rain alert for West Midnapore and Hooghly.

Bengal election 2026 today LIVE: Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra arrived at polling booth number 120, Karimpur Girls High School in Nadia to cast her vote. When asked about her vehicular transport, an e-rickshaw, Moitra said: “Because the ECI has said that not to come by motorbike. So we have come by TOTO.”

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: Both the BJP and the Trinamool Congress continued attacking each other over the past few weeks in Bengal as they campaigned for the Assembly elections.

The BJP accused the Trinamool of turning West Bengal into a haven for infiltrators, while Mamata Banerjee alleged that the saffron party was indulging in divisive politics, attempting to bifurcate the state and discouraging consumption of fish and eggs.

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls also remained a focus throughout.

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: The BJP candidate in Panihati who is also the mother of the RG Kar rape-murder victim cast her vote today. “I feel there is some problem with the press button on the EVM. It is taking time to press it, I will inform the officer…,” she was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

She also thanked voters for coming out early and urged more to step out and vote.

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: The mother of the RG Kar Medical College rape and murder victim, who is also the BJP candidate from Panihati seat, cast her vote on Wednesday.

The victim’s father earlier turned emotional as he stepped out to vote. Fighting back tears, the father told news agency ANI, “It’s very sad that we have to resort to this method to get justice for our girl. But we will win and get justice for our daughter… We are with the public…”

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra cast her vote at a polling booth in Nadia on Wednesday.

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: After casting her vote in the final phase, BJP’s Sonarpur Dakshin candidate Roopa Ganguly said there was a “slight problem” with the machine which was fixed.

“There was a slight problem with the machine and battery. I quickly got it fixed,” she said during a media interaction.

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: Pursurah BJP candidate Biman Ghosh, Bhatpara candidate Pawan Singh and Sonarpur Dakshin candidate Roopa Ganguly cast votes in their respective constituencies on Wednesday.

“It felt great. Voting is being held peacefully. I hope it will be peaceful throughout the day. But I would like to urge people to vote as early as possible…,” Singh said.

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: Once voting for the final phase ends, focus will shift to exit polls. However, the Election Commission has barred exit poll projections until 6:30 pm today.

“The Election Commission under Section 126A of the RP Act 1951, has notified that the conduct of exit poll and dissemination of their results by means of print or electronic media is prohibited between 7:00 AM on 9 April 2026 (Thursday) and 6.30 PM on 29 April 2026 (Wednesday),” the poll panel said.

Hence, exit polls are expected only after the ECI’s deadline ends.

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: BJP candidate in Noapara, Arjun Singh, cast his vote this morning. He said: “I have cast my vote. I have voted for a change. I have voted for the formation of a BJP Govt here…”.

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: Former Union Minister and next High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi cast his vote at a polling booth in Kolkata. He was recently named the new high commissioner to Bangladesh, marking the first time the key position in Dhaka has been assigned to a political appointee in several decades.

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: The father of the RG Kar rape-murder victim turned emotional as he stepped out to vote in the final phase of elections in Bengal. His wife is contesting the elections from the Panihati seat as a BJP candidate.

Fighting back tears, the father told news agency ANI, “It’s very sad that we have to resort to this method to get justice for our girl. But we will win and get justice for our daughter… We are with the public…”

Bengal exit poll 2026 LIVE: In the 2021 Assembly elections, pollsters had varied predictions on the outcome in Bengal. While Axis My India predicted a neck-and-neck fight between the BJP and the TMC, C Voter had said that out of 294 seats in Bengal, the Trinamool was projected to win 158. CNX Republic on the other hand said that the BJP would win 143 seats and the Trinamool 133 seats.

When the results were announced, the BJP won 77 seats in the 292 assembly, falling short of its 200+ goal.

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: Some of the key constituencies that are voting today are Bhabanipur, where Trinamool’s Mamata Banerjee faces BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari, Nandigram, another seat where Adhikari is contesting, Baharampur, from where veteran Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury is contesting an Assembly election after a gap of 25 years, among others.

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday urged a record voter turnout appeal for Bengal right after voting for the remaining 142 seats began in the final phase.

“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,” PM Modi said in a tweet.

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: Voting for the final phase has begun in West Bengal. Polling stations have been set up in Kolkata, Nandigram, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Purba Burdwan, Nadia and others.

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: Over 92% voter turnout was seen in the first phase of elections on April 23, when 152 of the state’s 294 assembly constituencies went to polls in Bengal. It remains to be seen if a similar turnout will be registered in the second and final phase too.

“This (voter turnout) should be like the first phase. This is the Election Commission’s duty, if they don’t do it then it is their failure…,” said Noapara BJP candidate Arjun Singh on Wednesday.

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: With the second phase of polling just minutes away from beginning, ISF President Nawsad Siddique alleged that a video is going viral, showing that in Bhangar, the Gram Panchayat chief has been threatening people not to vote.

“They won’t be able to achieve anything by intimidating the people of Bhangar… Shaukat will defeat the TMC candidate and send him back home…,” the leader told ANI.

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: Voting for the second and final phase in West Bengal will begin shortly, at 7 am. The remaining 142 constituencies will go to polls today and chief minister Mamata Banerjee is among the candidates. Across eight districts, voting will be held in 41,001 polling stations.

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: A presiding officer at a polling station in Purba Burdwan said that mock polls were going well.

“Mock polls began on time and are going well… Nobody is facing any issues. Good security arrangements have been made…,” Presiding Officer Pratima Kaibarta told news agency ANI.

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: A political controversy over the deployment of IPS Ajay Pal Sharma in Bengal took a legal turn on Tuesday as a plea filed in the Supreme Court sought his “urgent removal” as the election observer.

The petition, seen by HT, alleged that Sharma upon assuming his charge as the police observer “engaged in acts of intimidation, undue influence, and partisan conduct, including threats directed at political candidates”. Read full story here.

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: Ahead of voting for the final phase set to begin at 7 am, mock polls were conducted in Bengal’s Purba Burdwan, Durgapur, Nadia, Ballygunge and South 24 Parganas, among others.