West Bengal Election 2026 Results Live Updates: BJP candidates visit temples in their constituencies day before results

A day before counting of votes in the West Bengal assembly elections, VVPAT slips allegedly linked to booth number 29 of the Noapara Assembly constituency were found discarded in Subhashnagar under Ichapur Nilganj Panchayat in Madhyamgram.

The incident triggered concern, with CPI(M) candidate Gargi Chatterjee and police personnel reaching the spot to assess the situation.

The Noapara seat is witnessing a multi-cornered contest with Trinamool Congress candidate Trinankur Bhattacharjee, BJP’s Arjun Singh, and CPI(M)’s Gargi Chatterjee in the fray.

Ahead of the results, AJUP chief Humayun Kabir said, "No party will get a clear majority in Bengal; the state will see a hung assembly."

TMC leader Kunal Ghosh on repolling in Falta said: "What was 'Singham' officer doing if there was mass rigging during polling; he must be suspended." His comments came involving Ajay Pal Sharma, a 2011-batch Uttar Pradesh-cadre IPS officer deployed as an observer by the Election Commission for the second phase of polling in West Bengal. Sharma is known for his tough policing image and is often dubbed as ‘Singham’.

Tension flared outside the strong room at Asansol Engineering College after a switched-off mobile phone was allegedly found inside an envelope along with documents linked to the Raniganj assembly constituency. The discovery triggered a brief commotion as party workers gathered at the site.

A BJP leader claimed that an individual was attempting to enter the premises with the phone, which is prohibited near strong rooms. " "Someone was trying to enter here with a mobile phone. Our men caught him. Mobile phones are forbidden. I don't know what the police are doing. A mobile phone was being taken inside, so we stopped it, and that's why we're standing here. We won't allow any unethical act here. All the officers are of TMC," he said.

Ahead of the results, West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Kumar Agarwal said, "All arrangements have been made as per ECI rules, regulations, laws and notifications. Our ROs, DOs, SPs, CPs and central paramilitary forces are ready, and so are our micro observers and observers. A three-tier security system has been put in place, CAPF in the innermost layer, followed by local police and then state police. All security arrangements are in accordance with guidelines. Section 163 of BNSS is also in force to restrict unlawful assembly. Nobody is above law, strong action will be taken against negligent officials, including observers."

On security outside the strong room in Kolkata, TMC candidate Sovandeb Chattopadhyay from the Ballygunge Assembly seat said, "When we go there, it feels like we have arrived at the war front. There are only the police and the CRPF there... This is being done to intimidate us, but they should understand that Bengal does not fear anyone..."

TMC leader Shashi Panja criticised the Election Commission over its response to allegations of irregularities in strong rooms, stating that the party had highlighted "loopholes in the system" that cannot be dismissed as baseless.

Addressing the issue to the reporters, Panja said the party had raised specific concerns regarding security arrangements and surveillance gaps, which, according to her, point to serious lapses that need to be addressed.

"The failure that was there, we showed it. There are loopholes in the system. So in the end, you had to make arrangements for it. But they shouldn't have said that what the TMC is saying is baseless...," she said.

She further alleged that there were deficiencies in CCTV coverage inside strong rooms, particularly where postal ballots were stored, raising concerns over transparency and monitoring.

"What we are saying is the truth: that the postal ballots that were kept in the room, there was no CCTV in it. If there is no CCTV, we will not be able to see it. This is also the truth. CCTV is not working in strong rooms in different districts, and there is a disruption. You will not be able to see the pictures in between. There will be suspicions...," Panja said.

Reacting to the EC’s response to her party’s allegations of vote tampering in the strongroom, TMC leader Shashi Panja said: "The failure that was there, we showed it. There are loopholes in the system. So in the end, you had to make arrangements for it. But they shouldn't have said that what the TCM is saying is baseless... What we are saying is the truth: that the postal ballots that were kept in the room there was no CCTV in it. If there is no CCTV, we will not be able to see it. This is also the truth. CCTV is not working in strong rooms in different districts, and there is a disruption. You will not be able to see the pictures in between. There will be suspicions..."

"We had petitioned for re-polling in the 150 booths where cellotape was put on the BJP symbol... They even rotated cameras in some of the booths... Yesterday, they made a decision on our demand and declared a repoll on 21st May... In Falta, the BJP will win by a margin of 1-1.5 lakhs votes," says Debangshu Panda.

"We were sitting here peacefully. The central force and Kolkata Police were checking everyone, but suddenly, a car of an ex-Army person comes in with a BJP flag on the dashboard of the car. The car went inside the strong room without any checking. Three people come out of the car and enter the strong room. After that, one of our party workers was taken inside to see the car, but it was not present there. After some time, the car came out and left from here," alleges a TMC worker.

The people have already blessed us. We will also receive the blessings of God. Tomorrow, 'Dharma' will triumph; it will be the victory of Bengal's people, Bengal's culture, the youth, and the mothers. I came here today to seek the blessings of God... TMC is losing, and out of fear of defeat, they are resorting to all sorts of propaganda. On May 4, the lotus flower will bloom here: Purnima Chakraborty, BJP candidate from Shyamkupur assembly cosntituency

Trinamool Congress leader Saket Gokhale on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the BJP and the Election Commission of India, alleging political messaging ahead of electoral outcomes in West Bengal.

In a series of posts on X, Gokhale wrote, "BJP is preparing excuses before their Bengal defeat tomorrow."

He also referred to polling arrangements and repolling decisions, claiming, "Election Commission of India has announced repolling in the entire Assembly constituency of Falta in Bengal across 285 stations. During polling, Tadipar's crook Gyanesh Kumar had deployed over 2.4 lakh Central Police Forces."

Gokhale further alleged, "In addition, BJP's lackey, who they called an 'encounter specialist' cop from UP, was appointed police observer. Despite this, ECI now says that repolling will have to be done."

Gokhale alleged that the BJP was "preparing excuses" ahead of its expected defeat in West Bengal and would later question the polls as "not free and fair," also linking it to the non-release of Axis MyIndia exit poll data.

The city has been placed under an unprecedented security lockdown ahead of the May 4 counting, with sweeping prohibitory orders and multi-layered deployment of forces across all strongroom locations following escalating tensions and allegations of breaches by rival political camps.

Acting on complaints from both Trinamool Congress and the BJP over alleged outsider interference, Kolkata Police imposed restrictions under Section 163 of the BNSS across all seven designated strongrooms in the city, extending similar measures to Bidhannagar. The orders, in force since Thursday evening, prohibit the assembly of five or more persons within a200-metre radius of each strongroom and ban processions, demonstrations and the carrying of any weapons or potentially dangerous materials.
The directive, issued by commissioner Ajay Nand, is aimed at preventing any damage to the ballot papers and polled EVMs. By Saturday, enforcement intensified further, with even pedestrians and political workers barred from using pavements near the facilities. Only authorised election officials, on-duty police personnel and central forces are allowed in the periphery.

The clampdown follows a series of flashpoints that have heightened political friction. At Kshudiram Anushilan Kendra, guard rails have been raised to nearly 10 feet after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and other Trinamool leaders alleged that a BJP agent had illegally entered the strongroom. District election officer (North) Smita Pandey has sought a detailed report from the police into the alleged breach.

Tensions peaked again early Saturday when eight ballot boxes arrived at the same facility around 4 am, triggering fresh allegations from Trinamool that the boxes were delayed and subsequently moved into a room lacking CCTV surveillance. The party circulated images and video footage to support its claims, intensifying the political standoff ahead of the results.

Earlier on Thursday night, Banerjee herself kept a three-hour vigil at the Sakhawat Memorial High School strongroom, prompting protests by BJP workers on Lord Sinha Road that continued until they were forcibly dis-persed around midnight. Another confrontation between Trinamool and BJP supporters at Kshudiram Anushilan Kendra required intervention by central armed police forces, who physically separated the groups to avert violence.

In response, security has been significantly ramped up. Around 200 companies of central forces are currently deployed on strongroom duty across Bengal, while the Election Commission has confirmed that nearly 700 CAPF companies remain stationed statewide to ensure stability. Each strongroom in Kolkata is now guarded by a combination of city police, central forces, PCR units, radio flying squads and additional supervisory officers.

Joint police commissioner (Traffic) Rupesh Kumar said additional CAPF and armed police have been deployed under senior-level supervision. Entire stretches, including Lord Sinha Road, have been sealed and access is being strictly regulated through QR-coded passes issued by the Election Commission.

The poll panel has reiterated its zero-tolerance approach, urging immediate reporting of any unlawful activity and warning of strict action against violators. It has also activated a public helpline and email channel, assuring confidentiality for complainants. Officials have been directed to conduct frequent inspections, with district election officers required to visit strongrooms twice daily.

The SC bench in its order said, “No further orders are necessary in this case except to record the statement of Mr. Dama Seshadri Naidu that the Election Commission will implement the circular dated 13th April, 2026 in true letter and spirit. With these clarifications, the Special Leave Petition stands dismissed,” the order said TMC had moved SC challenging the additional chief electoral officer’s decision mandating “at least one among the counting supervisor and counting assistant at each counting table shall be a central govt/central PSU employee” for the counting of votes.

The petition, filed through advocate Sanchit Garga, alleged that the decision was “arbitrary, without jurisdiction, discriminatory, and creating a reasonable apprehension of bias, given that its principal political opponent, the BJP, is the ruling party at the Centre and thus exercises administrative control over central govt/PSU employees.”

“Despite the existence of such safeguards, the communication introduces an additional and disproportionate requirement mandating the presence of central govt/central PSU employees as Counting Supervisors or Counting Assistants over and above the micro-observers already present from the central govt./central PSU employees. The said requirement has been imposed without disclosing any objective criteria, material basis, or transparent reasoning, and is purportedly founded on vague and unsubstantiated apprehensions regarding irregularities in the counting process,” the petition said.

"On consideration of severe electoral offences and subversion of democratic process during the polling in a large number of polling stations on April 29 in Falta Assembly Constituency, EC directs that fresh poll shall be conducted in all the 285 polling stations, including auxiliary polling stations," the spokesperson said.

BJP candidate from Shyampukur assembly constituency, Purnima Chakraborty, said, "The people of TMC are scared. They haven't done any work for 15 years... Change will definitely happen. On the 4th, BJP government is being formed..."

Election Commission directs that fresh polls shall be conducted in all the 285 polling stations, including Auxiliary polling stations, in 144-Falta Assembly Constituency, between 7 AM and 6 PM on 21st May 2026, and counting of votes will take place on 24th May 2026: ECI

According to ECI, they have issued these directives "on Consideration of severe electoral offences and subversion of the democratic process during the polling in a large number of polling stations on 29th April 2026 in 144-Falta Assembly Constituency, West Bengal"

On repolling and record voting in West Bengal, former Cabinet minister and NJP leader Debashree Chowdhury said, "... Mamata Banerjee’s confidence level is gradually declining. Her body language, speech, and facial expressions suggest nervousness, as she already knows what is coming. After three terms in power, such a record polling, around 90%, signals a strong wave of change. When turnout is this high, it usually reflects a decisive shift, not a marginal one. People are determined to vote her out, and the gap is expected to be large..."

"We know how elections are conducted in Bengal. Whether it is panchayat elections, municipal elections, or other local polls, the Trinamool Congress wins overwhelmingly everywhere. It happens through large-scale rigging carried out in collusion with the police and local goons," Chowdhury said.

He also alleged, saying: "We have seen that when ballot boxes are taken to the Block Development Officer's office for counting, they are changed and new ballot papers are inserted by officials themselves."

"If the thieves themselves are speaking about 'electoral religion', then how are we supposed to trust them?" Chowdhury added.

The TMC government is gone. Many people in West Bengal have never voted. They were not allowed to vote. In such an atmosphere, now that people have become fearless, they have voted. TMC has accepted the defeat, but still, because their workers go to the counting centres, they are giving such statements: Samik Bhattacharya

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday directed the Diamond Harbour District Police in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal to immediately register First Information Reports (FIRs) against close associates of the Trinamool Congress candidate from the Falta Assembly constituency, Jahangir Khan, who have been accused by villagers of threatening them and their family members with dire consequences for voting for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The Commission also warned the Diamond Harbour District Police of strong disciplinary action against the officers concerned if they fail to comply with its directions and initiate action against those accused of threatening villagers by registering FIRs, sources in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, said.

All Assembly constituencies in South 24 Parganas district, including Falta, went to the polls in the second phase of the two-phase Assembly elections in West Bengal on April 29. Although the ECI-appointed Special Observer, Subrata Gupta, on Friday recommended re-polling in 30 polling booths in Falta, the Commission is yet to take a decision on the matter.

The demand for re-polling across the entire Falta constituency was raised by the BJP after it was alleged that in some booths, the EVM buttons next to the name and photograph of the BJP candidate were covered with white tape.

Falta had drawn national attention even before polling on April 29, following an exchange between Jahangir Khan and the ECI-appointed Special Police Observer, Ajay Pal Sharma, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre.

On the polling day as well, there were reports of sporadic poll-related violence from Falta and adjacent Assembly constituencies under the Diamond Harbour subdivision in South 24 Parganas district.

The two-phase Assembly elections in West Bengal were held on April 23 and April 29. Counting of votes will take place on May 4, and results will be declared the same day.

We came with three issues. First, in Bardhaman, why were CAPF and district police moving outside? Second, in Pingla and Daspur, casual staff should not be deployed. Third, according to Election Commission rules, national parties must have proper seating in the counting hall, and the RO, ARO, observer, and counting officers must ensure this. In our opinion, what happened should not have occurred. In Falta, similar irregularities took place: Tapas Roy, BJP nominee from Maniktala assembly constituency

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday sought a report from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, following fresh incidents of post-poll tension in the Falta assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas district, amid re-pollingin 15 polling booths across two other assembly constituencies in the district -- Magrahat (Paschim) and Diamond Harbour.

The demand for re-polling across the entire Falta constituency, which went to the polls in the second phase of the two-phase Assembly elections in West Bengal on April 29, was raised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), following complaints that in several booths in the constituency, the EVM button next to the name and photograph of the BJP candidate was covered with white tape.

Tension began escalating in Falta from Saturday morning.

A section of villagers alleged that miscreants affiliated with the Trinamool Congress had been threatening them by visiting their homes since morning, claiming that they had voted for the BJP. The name of Trinamool Congress candidate from Falta, Jahangir Khan, has been cited by villagers in connection with the incident.

Some villagers also alleged that threats were being issued under the leadership of Israfil Sardar, head of the local village panchayat and a close associate of Jahangir Khan. The villagers who were allegedly threatened began protesting by blocking National Highway 17 on Saturday.

They demanded that the Trinamool Congress leader close to Jahangir Khan be arrested immediately and that the Commission conduct re-election across the entire Falta asembly constituency. Many of them also demanded the arrest of Jahangir Khan. Soon thereafter, the ECI sought a report from the CEO’s office on the matter.

Repolling in 15 booths of two assembly constituencies in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district concluded at 6 pm on Saturday, with around 87% turnout recorded an hour before the close of voting, an official said.

A voter turnout of 86.90% was recorded till 5 pm, with the figure from one booth still awaited, he said. Voting began at 7 am and continued till 6 pm.

Magrahat Paschim registered 86.11% voter turnout, while in Diamond Harbour, the figure was 87.60%, the official said.

Voting in these two assembly constituencies was held in the second phase of the assembly elections on April 29.

The repoll order was based on reports received from returning officers and observers of the two constituencies and "material circumstances", he said.

In Magrahat Paschim, TMC's Md Samim Ahamed Molla is pitted against BJP nominee Goursundar Ghosh, while Abdul Majid Halder of the Congress and ISF candidate Abdul Aziz Al Hassan are also in the fray.

TMC candidate Panna Lal Halder is contesting against Dipak Kumar Halder of the BJP in the Diamond Harbour seat. Goutam Bhattacharya of the Congress and CPI(M)'s Samar Naiya are among other candidates.

Trinamool Congress National general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday alleged that BJP is attempting to threaten the party's cadre, including women, in the West Bengal assembly elections.

Addressing the counting agents via video conferencing, Banerjee encouraged party workers to stand up against the BJP's "unfair means" to influence the elections.

"BJP is attempting to threaten our people, women, through central forces. Every gram, lane they went and assaulted women. Didn't spare kids. A certain section of media is also helping them," he said.

"They will try all their might to use unfair means, but we have stopped them throughout, and we will continue to do so," he added.

He also rejected the exit polls that have projected the BJP's victory, stating that even they don't believe that they are forming a government.

"Exit polls, which are shown by the media, even the BJP does not believe they are forming the government. They are aware of the reality. I want to put this on record that TMC will get more seats in comparison to 2021," he said.

All BJP assembly candidates in West Bengal will visit temples in their constituencies tomorrow to offer prayers. Additionally, women will stage a sit-in protest at strong rooms in all assembly constituencies: West Bengal BJP

"The situation is peaceful, they have complaints. They are requested to go to the police station and file their complaints. Whatever complaints they have, legal action will be taken," says police officer Shantanu Sen.

Till 5 pm, 86.11% approximate voter turnout recorded in Magrahat Paschim assembly constituency and 87.60% in Diamond Harbour assembly constituency.

"We welcome the Election Commission’s decision to conduct a re-poll in 15 booths as there were complaints of proxy voting," says Kaustuv Bagchi.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday exuded confidence that the TMC will emerge victorious in the ongoing assembly elections.
Addressing the counting agents via video conferencing, she dismissed the exit poll projections and recognised them as an attempt to "manipulate the stock market."

"We are winning and winning by 200+ seats. Exit polls are nothing but an attempt to manipulate the stock market. They did in 2021, 2024, and now."

She further accused the Central Armed Police Forces of committing brutality against TMC workers and affirmed that the affected will be rewarded.

"The party in the coming days will reward those who faced the brutality of the CAPF," she said.

Her remarks come amid ongoing repolling across two constituencies in South 24 Paraganas district after BJP's West Bengal co-incharge, Amit Malviya, alleged that voters were prevented from choosing the party candidate at several polling booths in Falta under the Diamond Harbour constituency during phase two of the Assembly elections in the State.

The voter turnout for the repolling across 11 polling booths in Magrahat Paschim Assembly has hit 72.5%, while the 4 booths in the Diamond Harbour Assembly recorded a turnout of 72.36%, taking the combined turnout to 72.43% till 3 PM on Saturday amid the ongoing repolling in the South 24 Paraganas district in West Bengal.

Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel have been deployed near the polling booth to prevent any disruptions during the voting process. The micro-observers are keeping a close watch on the polling, while monitoring is being done from the Kolkata Election Commission office.

Meanwhile, exit poll numbers projected an interesting tussle in West Bengal, with the BJP ahead in most of the projections.

Chanakya Strategies projected the BJP winning 150-160 seats in 294 West Bengal assembly and getting a majority of its own. It said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) would win 30-40 seats and others six to 10 seats.

Matrize predicted BJP getting 146-161 seats in West Bengal, TMC 125-140 seats and others 6-10 seats. JVC projected that BJP would get 138-159 seats, the Trinamool Congress 131-152 seats, Congress 0-2 seats, Left parties 0-1 seat and others 0-1 seat. P-Marq exit poll projected 150-175 seats for BJP, 118-138 for Trinamool Congress and 2-6 for others. People Pulse projected 95-100 seats for BJP, 177-187 seats for Trinamool Congress, 1-3 seats for Congress and 0-1 seat for Left parties. Poll Diary exit poll projected 142-147 seats for BJP, 99-127 for Trinamool Congress, 3-5 for Congress, 2-3 for Left parties and 0-1 for others.

The previous two phases of the West Bengal Assembly elections witnessed a record high voter turnout of 92.67 per cent in 142 constituencies. The counting of the polls is scheduled for May 4

We have a document. I will not tell which party's document this is. But it is the document of a party which is fighting with Trinamool. This is their final observation on 294 seats; this is their secret document. Six leaders were present at that meeting. They've identified 78 seats which they can win. We've been saying for a long time that Trinamool Congress had crossed the century mark in the first phase, it reached a double century in the second phase: Kunal Ghosh

Kalighat police station officer-in-charge Gautam Das has been suspended over a controversial WhatsApp status, a senior Kolkata Police officer said on Saturday.

Das has been replaced by Chameli Mukhopadhyay, he said. The development comes two days ahead of the counting of votes in the West Bengal Assembly elections.

The action followed a complaint lodged with the Election Commission by the TMC, alleging that Das had posted an "objectionable" image on social media in violation of service rules.

The ruling party had sought the EC’s intervention after its state vice-president, Joyprakash Majumdar, shared on X a photograph of the officer holding a firearm while being in uniform.

The voter turnout for the repolling across 11 polling booths in Magrahat Paschim assembly has hit 72.5%, while the 4 booths in the Diamond Harbour constituency recorded a turnout of 72.36% taking the combined turnout to 72.43% till 3 pm on Saturday amid the ongoing repolling in the South 24 Paraganas district in West Bengal.

The repolling is underway across the two constituencies, with the micro-observers keeping a close watch on the polling, while monitoring is being done from the Kolkata Election Commission office.

The second and final phase of the West Bengal assembly elections witnessed a record high voter turnout of 92.67 per cent in 142 constituencies.

EC deploys 165 additional counting observers and 77 police observers in West Bengal to strengthen security, oversee law & order arrangements around counting centres & ensure that the counting proceedings are conducted in a secure & transparent manner.

A differently-abled woman voter reportedly could not cast her vote because her caretaker mother was allegedly denied entry into the polling booth

An individual at the polling station says, "No one from her family was allowed inside the polling booth... When I went in, the officer said that this would not work and when asked how a differently-abled person would cast their vote, he said that in such a case their vote would not be taken... Then why did the government make her voter ID and Aadhar card?..."

We will not let them block the national highway. Repolling is currently underway in Diamond Harbour PD and if they block the national highway, it will be cut-off from Kolkata... A case has been filed on their demand and it is subject to investigation: Abhishek, Additional SP

Repoll is only done based on the assessment of the poll which has taken place. Assessment was done by the State General Observer and the team there; they have sent a report. Let us see what the status is. The difference between other areas and Falta is - in Diamond Harbour, it (discrepancies) was found only in 4 places. In Magrahat, it was found in 11 places. But here, a large number of booths are there. That is why, EC has to take a decision based on the totality of the situation: Manoj Agarwal

TMC leader Shashi Panja has written to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal expressing concern over "intermittent CCTV disruptions" in strong rooms and seeking immediate access to complete surveillance records.

In her letter dated May 1, Panja raised objections over reported interruptions in CCTV surveillance at multiple strong room locations, stating that such lapses could compromise the integrity and security of stored electronic voting machines (EVMs) and VVPATs.

She cited reports of disruptions and inconsistencies from several locations, including strong rooms in Kolkata, Jalpaiguri, Gaighata Assembly constituency, Chandernagore Government College, and Jangipur Polytechnic College, among many others.

Calling the matter serious, Panja said uninterrupted 24x7 CCTV monitoring of strong rooms, with continuous recording and access, is mandated under Election Commission guidelines and any lapse raises serious concerns about the safety of stored machines and further weakens the public confidence in an electoral process where trust is already under strain, the letter stated.

The TMC leader demanded that authorities immediately provide a complete instance-wise report of CCTV malfunction, disruption or downtime; furnish uninterrupted surveillance footage and logs covering the affected periods; restore full real-time monitoring functionality; and ensure continuous access to surveillance for authorised representatives in line with Election Commission protocols.

She further warned that failure to preserve and provide complete CCTV records could invite adverse inference regarding the integrity of the monitoring process and said the party would be compelled to pursue further action if corrective steps were not taken promptly.

"If full transparency is not ensured forthwith, we will be compelled to pursue appropriate agitation based on democratic principles," the letter stated.

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Saturday welcomed the Election Commission's decision to conduct repolling in parts of West Bengal, asserting that the process is proceeding peacefully and expressing confidence in a decisive outcome against the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC).


Speaking to reporters in Lucknow, Maurya said, "The Election Commission is conducting a re-poll. We welcome it. We're getting reports that voting is going on peacefully. On May 4th, Didi (WB CM Mamata Banerjee) will be gone. The more disturbed she looks and the more baseless accusations she's trying to make, the more it proves that the TMC is going to face a crushing defeat."


Repolling is underway in 15 booths across the South 24 Parganas district following reports of alleged irregularities during the second phase of polling held on April 29.


Authorities have deployed central forces and enhanced security measures to ensure a smooth voting process.


Meanwhile, political tensions have escalated over the deployment of personnel for vote counting scheduled on May 4. Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari raised concerns over the alleged use of contractual and casual staff in Pingla and Daspur constituencies. He termed the move a threat to the integrity of the democratic process and urged the Election Commission of India to intervene.


In a post on X, Adhikari questioned the appointment of contractual workers such as 'Jibika Sebaks,' 'Sahayaks,' and data entry operators for handling sensitive tasks involving EVMs, VVPATs, and postal ballots. He alleged that such personnel are more susceptible to political pressure and lack institutional accountability.


The issue has triggered a broader political debate, with both the BJP and TMC trading allegations over electoral practices. While the BJP has demanded that only permanent government employees be assigned counting duties, the TMC has previously opposed the deployment of central government and PSU staff.


Amid the controversy, the Supreme Court of India has constituted a special bench to hear a plea related to the deployment of counting supervisors. The counting of votes for the high-stakes West Bengal Assembly elections is scheduled for May 4. (