West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026 | Central forces working to help BJP: Mamata Banerjee after casting vote

Amid controversy over deployment of central forces during West Bengal elections, CM Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said that the forces were working in favour of BJP. Banerjee further said that the polls were not being conducted in a free and fair manner.

"The atrocities by the central forces are unprecedented. What is happening is not at all free and fair polls," she said.

The CM after casting her vote in Bhabanipur constituency said that the central forces were intimidating the TMC workers and voters, and its poll agents were driven out of booths.

"Central forces are supposed to guard the country's borders, but instead they are working for a particular party," she said, without naming the BJP.

"The central forces are torturing common people. It is like brutalising the democracy. Is this an example of free and fair polls?" she asked. She also alleged that the central forces assaulted TMC workers.

"They have assaulted so many of our cadres and have forced our polling agents to leave the booths," Banerjee alleged.

Earlier, BJP had accused TMC workers of EVM tampering.

Polling for the second and final phase of the assembly elections was underway in 142 constituencies across south Bengal, including Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly, Nadia, North and South 24 Parganas, and Purba Bardhaman. The voter turnout stood at 89.99% till 5 pm.

(With PTI inputs)