WB polls: Security forces officials assist elderly voters to cast their votes

Police and Central Paramilitary Security personnel on Wednesday assisted elderly voters after they reached the polling booth to cast their votes amid the second phase of West Bengal polls. An approximate turnout of 18.39% was recorded till 9 am in the second and final phase of polls.

Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Dipanjan Bhattacharjee, speaking to ANI, said, "Everything is going on peacefully in Tehatta. Security arrangements are very tight. Officers are there on the ground, so it is quite peaceful." Voting for the second phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections 2026 is currently underway amid tight security arrangements across 142 constituencies out of 294.

West Bengal recorded a voter turnout of 18.39 per cent until 9 am on Wednesday, as polling for the remaining 142 seats across the state commenced earlier in the day. Purba Bardhaman stands at the top, with a voting percentage of 20.86%, followed by Hooghly, which has witnessed 20.16% polling until 9 am on Wednesday. 18.50 percent polling has taken place in Nadia; meanwhile, North 24 Paraganas 17.81% votes.

Kolkata North and Kolkata South have experienced 17.28% and 16.81% polling respectively, whereas 17.76% has been recorded in Howrah. The main fight in West Bengal in the 2026 elections is between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP.

The second phase of the polling is widely seen as the 'litmus test' for the Trinamool Congress (TMC), as voting moves into the party's traditional fortresses in South Bengal and Kolkata. The second phase covers 142 out of 294 seats in West Bengal. The total electorate is around 3.21 crore, with 1,64,35,627 men, 1,57,37,418 women and 792 transgender voters.1,448 candidates are in the fray, including 220 women at 41,001 polling stations, with over 8,000 managed entirely by women.

While 142 seats are up for grabs, all eyes are on the 'Big Five' urban contests. Apart from the high-stakes seat of Bhabanipur, Tollyganj, the heart of the Bengali film industry, is a high-profile, star-studded battle. (ANI)

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)