The second and final phase of the West Bengal Assembly Election 2026 has commenced today. This phase is considered a critical juncture in the state's political landscape, as it will determine whether the Trinamool Congress (TMC) can retain its stronghold in South Bengal or if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) can successfully breach this fortress to reach the seat of power. A total of 142 assembly seats are up for polling in this decisive phase of the elections.
The Battle for South Bengal Strongholds
Following the first phase of polling on April 23, which tested the BJP's traditional lead in North Bengal and adjacent districts, the focus has now shifted to the TMC's bastions. The second phase covers key districts including Kolkata, Howrah, North and South 24 Parganas, Nadia, Hooghly, and East Bardhaman. These regions are historically significant for the ruling party, and the outcomes here are expected to dictate the final results of the assembly elections.
Seat Equations and 2021 Performance
The 142 seats going to polls today have a history of favoring the Trinamool Congress. In the 2021 Assembly elections, the TMC secured a landslide victory by winning 123 of these 142 seats. The BJP managed to win only 18 seats, while the Indian Secular Front (ISF) secured one seat. Despite the wide-scale contest, the Bhawanipur seat remains the epicenter of prestige. It's being compared to the Nandigram battle of 2021, where Suvendu Adhikari defeated Mamata Banerjee. Five years later, the political war has reached the TMC chief's home turf.
Bhawanipur: The High-Profile Epicenter
For the Trinamool Congress, retaining the Bhawanipur seat is a matter of political survival and prestige for Mamata Banerjee. Conversely, for the BJP, conquering this fort would mean shattering the myth of the 'invincibility' of Bengal's most powerful leader. Spread across eight wards of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Bhawanipur is often referred to as 'Mini India' due to its diverse population comprising Bengali, Gujarati, Marwari, Jain, Sikh, Muslim, and migrant communities from Bihar and Jharkhand.
Voter Statistics and Polling Infrastructure
According to the Election Commission, there are 3,21,73,837 registered voters in this phase of the Bengal elections. This includes 1,64,35,627 male voters, 1,57,37,418 female voters, and 792 third-gender voters. Voting is being conducted across 41,001 polling stations, all of which are equipped with webcasting facilities to ensure a transparent and fair election process.
Security Arrangements and Surveillance
The Election Commission has implemented stringent security measures across seven districts, deploying 2,321 companies of central forces. Kolkata has seen the highest deployment with 273 companies. To monitor the election process, 142 General Observers, 95 Police Observers, and 100 Expenditure Observers have been stationed. On top of that, drones equipped with cameras are being used for surveillance in sensitive areas. In terms of candidate density, Bhangar has the highest number of candidates at 19, while Goghat has the lowest with only five candidates in the fray.
Key Candidates and High-Stakes Contests
Several political heavyweights are contesting in this phase. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is seeking re-election from Bhawanipur, where she faces a formidable challenge from BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari. In Kolkata Port, senior TMC leader Firhad Hakim is up against BJP's Rakesh Singh in a seat that's strategically vital for the ruling party. Other significant constituencies include Bhatpara, Jagatdal, Barrackpore, Bongaon, Dum Dum, Sandeshkhali, Hingalganj, Ranaghat North and South, Rashbehari, Jadavpur, and Ballygunge.
Major Constituencies and Candidates List
The key matchups for the second phase include: In Krishnanagar North, Tarak Nath Chatterjee (BJP) faces Avinabh Bhattacharya (TMC). In Naihati, Soumitra Chatterjee (BJP) is up against Sanat Dey (TMC). Bhatpara sees a contest between Pawan Kumar Singh (BJP) and Amit Gupta (TMC). In Jagatdal, BJP has fielded Dr. Rajesh Kumar (IPS) against Somnath Shyam Ichini (TMC). Barrackpore features Kaustav Bagchi (BJP) versus Raju Chakraborty (TMC). In Dum Dum North, Archana Majumdar (BJP) faces Chandrima Bhattacharya (TMC), while in Dum Dum, Arijit Bakshi (BJP) contests against Bratya Basu (TMC).
In Sandeshkhali (ST), Sanat Sardar (BJP) faces Jharna Sardar (TMC). Hingalganj (SC) sees Rekha Patra (BJP) against Anand Sarkar (TMC). Jadavpur features Sarbori Mukherjee (BJP) versus Debabrata Majumdar (TMC). In Kolkata Port, Rakesh Singh (BJP) challenges Firhad Hakim (TMC). Rashbehari sees Swapan Dasgupta (BJP) against Debasish Kumar (TMC). In Ballygunge, Dr. Shatarupa (BJP) faces Sovandeb Chattopadhyay (TMC). Howrah North features Umesh Rai (BJP) vs Gautam Chowdhury (TMC), Howrah Central has Sanjay Singh (BJP) vs Arup Roy (TMC), and Howrah South sees Shyamal Hati (BJP) vs Nandita Chowdhury (TMC). In Ranaghat North West, Parthasarathi Chatterjee (BJP) faces Tapas Ghosh (TMC), while Ranaghat North East (SC) features Asim Biswas (BJP) vs Barnali Dey Roy (TMC), and Ranaghat South (SC) sees Dr, while asim Kumar Biswas (BJP) against Dr. Saugata Kumar Barman (TMC).