West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026 | Turnout crosses 62 pc at 1 pm amid sporadic clashes; BJP candidate assaulted

Polling started at 7 am in 152 assembly constituencies across 16 districts amid unprecedented security, and till 9 am, 18.76% of 3.60 crore voters exercised their franchise.

 West Bengal recorded brisk polling on Thursday with over 62 per cent of the 3.60 crore electors in the first phase of the Assembly elections exercising their franchise till 1 pm amid sporadic incidents of violence, voter intimidation and assault on a BJP candidate.

Polling in 16 districts that began at 7 am on Thursday will decide the electoral fate of 1,478 candidates, including 167 women, in 152 constituencies of the 294-strong state Assembly.

Braving hot and humid conditions, voters queued up in large numbers outside polling booths since morning, with voting picking up pace as the hours progressed.

The voter turnout was 18.76 per cent in the first two hours, and it slowly gathered pace, reaching 41.11 per cent at 11 am and 62.18 per cent at 1 pm, according to the Election Commission.

District-wise data showed Paschim Medinipur leading in voter turnout at 65.77 per cent, followed by Jhargram at 65.31 per cent, and Bankura at 64 per cent. A relatively lower turnout was recorded in Malda, 58.45 per cent, Cooch Behar, 60.75 per cent, and Alipurduar, 60.03 per cent.

Around 450 complaints were received by the poll panel till noon, while another 375 were lodged through the cVIGIL app, officials said.

Even as officials said the polling was largely peaceful, sporadic incidents of violence across districts lent a familiar edge to Bengal's electoral theatre. The Elections Commission has sought reports from officials on the violence.

In Dakshin Dinajpur's Kumarganj, BJP candidate Suvendu Sarkar was manhandled while on his way to a polling booth after reports of disturbances. Sarkar alleged that he was beaten up in the presence of the police and that his vehicle was vandalised. The TMC, however, alleged that Sarkar had tried to create unrest near a booth, leading to protests by locals.

In Murshidabad's Naoda, clashes broke out between supporters of the Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) and the TMC, with central forces resorting to a baton charge to disperse mobs after vehicles were vandalised and stones were hurled.

Tension had been building since the morning when AJUP chief Humayun Kabir visited a polling booth and faced protests from TMC supporters. Kabir later accused the ruling party of intimidation and malpractice, while the TMC rejected the charges and condemned the violence.

Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, who cast his vote early in Nandigram, claimed the BJP would win "not less than 125 of the 152 seats" in this phase.

He alleged that "TMC-sheltered criminals" were intimidating voters and demanded action against a police officer in West Midnapore's Pingla for alleged partisan conduct.

The TMC countered, accusing the police of biased conduct in Nandigram. State minister Shashi Panja said a party delegation had approached the Chief Electoral Officer, seeking the removal of certain officials, while claiming their presence raised "serious concerns over the neutrality of officials".

Senior TMC leader Anubrata Mondal, after casting his vote in Birbhum along with his daughter, described the polling as peaceful and urged voters to participate calmly. "Keep cool and vote without tension," he said, expressing confidence that the party would sweep all seats in the district.

Allegations of voter intimidation emerged from Domkal in Murshidabad, where several locals claimed they were threatened and prevented from reaching the polling stations.

The Election Commission has sought a report over the matter, officials said, adding that security forces were deployed to escort voters to the polling booths safely.

The first phase covers all 54 Assembly seats in north Bengal as well as parts of south Bengal and Junglemahal - regions seen as key battlegrounds between the BJP and the ruling TMC.

Polling will continue till 6 pm.

The remaining 142 Assembly seats will go to the polls on April 29. Counting of votes will take place on May 4.