Bengal Phase 2 Polling Day: Kolkata, Howrah, Nadia and the 24 Parganas Vote Today, April 29, 2026

Bengal Phase 2 Polling Day: Kolkata, Howrah, Nadia and the 24 Parganas Vote Today, April 29, 2026

Today West Bengal completes its electoral verdict. Phase 2 is voting. 142 constituencies across Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly, Nadia, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, and East Bardhaman are going to the polls as you read this. Booths opened at 7 AM. They close at 6 PM. And when they shut tonight, the fate of West Bengal's next five years will be locked inside those EVMs until May 4.

This is the phase that decides everything. Phase 1 voted 152 constituencies across North Bengal and Jungle Mahal on April 23 and recorded a staggering 91.58 percent turnout, the highest in West Bengal's modern electoral history. Today's Phase 2 is the harder mountain to climb for BJP and the fortress TMC must defend. Bharat and Beyond brings you the complete polling day picture.

What Is Voting Today

Over 140 constituencies across multiple districts including Nadia, North and South 24 Parganas, Kolkata, Howrah, and Hooghly are voting today. The atmosphere is charged, not just with political passion but with palpable tension after the violence witnessed on April 23.

The full list of districts voting in Phase 2 includes:

Kolkata: Kasba, Jadavpur, Tollygunge, Behala Purba, Behala Paschim, Metiabruz, Kolkata Port, Bhabanipur, Rashbehari, Ballygunge, Chowringhee, Entally, Beleghata, Jorasanko, Shyampukur, Maniktala, Kashipur-Belgachia.

Howrah: Bally, Howrah Uttar, Howrah Madhya, Shibpur, Howrah Dakshin, Sankrail, Panchla, Uluberia Purba, Uluberia Uttar, Uluberia Dakshin, Shyampur, Bagnan, Amta, Udaynarayanpur, Jagatballavpur, Domjur.

Hooghly: Uttarpara, Sreerampur, Champdani, Singur, Chandannagar, Chunchura, Balagarh, Pandua, Saptagram, Chanditala, Jangipara, Haripal, Dhanekhali, Tarakeswar, Pursurah, Arambag, Goghat, Khanakul.

Nadia: Karimpur, Tehatta, Palashipara, Kaliganj, Nakashipara, Chapra, Krishnanagar Uttar, Nabadwip, Krishnanagar Dakshin, Santipur, Ranaghat Uttar Paschim, Krishnaganj, Ranaghat Uttar Purba, Ranaghat Dakshin, Chakdaha, Kalyani, Haringhata.

North 24 Parganas: Bagdah, Bangaon Uttar, Bangaon Dakshin, Gaighata, Swarupnagar, Baduria, Habra, Ashoknagar, Amdanga, Bijpur, Naihati, Bhatpara, Jagatdal, Noapara, Barrackpore, Khardaha, Dum Dum Uttar, Panihati, Kamarhati, Baranagar, Dum Dum, Rajarhat New Town, Bidhannagar, Rajarhat Gopalpur, Madhyamgram, Barasat, Deganga, Haroa, Minakhan, Sandeshkhali, Basirhat Dakshin, Basirhat Uttar, Hingalganj.

South 24 Parganas: Gosaba, Basanti, Kultali, Patharpratima, Kakdwip, Sagar, Kulpi, Raidighi, Mandirbazar, Jaynagar, Baruipur Purba, Canning Paschim, Canning Purba, Baruipur Paschim, Magrahat Purba, Magrahat Paschim, Diamond Harbour, Falta, Satgachia, Bishnupur, Sonarpur Dakshin, Bhangar, Sonarpur Uttar, Maheshtala, Budge Budge.

East Bardhaman: Katwa, Kalna, Memari, Burdwan Uttar, Burdwan Dakshin, Raina, Jamalpur, Monteswar, Bhatar, Ausgram, Galsi, Purbasthali Uttar, Purbasthali Dakshin, Ketugram, Mangolkote, Khandaghosh.

The Phase 1 Shadow Over Phase 2

Phase 1 witnessed a massive 92.86 percent voter turnout, the highest-ever in West Bengal's assembly election history. 

 That number has dominated the political conversation in the six days since April 23. Both BJP and TMC have claimed it as their own victory.

Amit Shah claimed BJP is winning 110 seats out of the 152 Phase 1 constituencies. Prime Minister Modi linked the surge in turnout to voters breaking free from fear, crediting women and young voters for driving participation. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee dismissed the BJP's claims, arguing that the high turnout reflects growing support for TMC and public resentment over the Special Intensive Revision. 

The reality of Phase 1's result will only be known on May 4. But Phase 2 will not wait. It votes today regardless of what Phase 1 produced. And the psychological weight of Phase 1's unprecedented turnout is sitting over every polling booth in South Bengal today.

The operative question is whether Phase 2 replicates Phase 1's energy or falls back to historical urban South Bengal turnout patterns of 74 to 78 percent. That single variable, more than any candidate or campaign promise, will shape Phase 2's outcome.

The Most Watched Seat on Earth Today: Bhabanipur

Bhabanipur Assembly constituency is witnessing a repeat clash between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari. Bhabanipur has turned into a hot pot of politics, witnessing a high-voltage clash between the two heavyweights. 

Mamata Banerjee cast her vote at her local polling booth in Bhabanipur this morning. Suvendu Adhikari cast his vote in Nandigram, where he is also contesting, before arriving in Bhabanipur to monitor the contest against Mamata.

Suvendu Adhikari said: Parivartan hoga. If a change does not take place this time, Sanatana in Bengal will be finished. The Election Commission is doing good work, but there are some goons everywhere. Our polling agent has been arrested. 

Bhabanipur is not just the most politically significant seat in Phase 2. It is the single most watched constituency in Indian politics today. Eight KMC wards. Approximately 2,10,000 voters. And two of the most consequential politicians in Bengal standing on opposite sides of the ballot.

The result here will not just determine who represents this South Kolkata constituency. It will define the political narrative of Bengal 2026 for the next five years. A Suvendu win means BJP has defeated the Chief Minister in her own home. A Mamata win means the TMC fortress held against its most determined challenger.

The Security Picture After April 23 Violence

The atmosphere is charged with tension after the violence witnessed on April 23. On Phase 1 polling day, three opposition candidates and supporters of others came under attack. BJP's Shubhendu Sarkar, the Kumarganj candidate, was beaten up by a mob. Agnimitra Paul's car was vandalised. In Birbhum, BJP candidate Debashis Ojha's election agent suffered head injuries. In Murshidabad, Humayun Kabir's car was vandalised by TMC workers. 

Given this Phase 1 violence record, the Election Commission has made specific security arrangements for Phase 2. The number of CAPF companies deployed in Phase 2 constituencies has been increased beyond Phase 1 levels. 100 percent webcasting at all booths has been mandated. The Chief Election Commissioner personally monitored Phase 1 from Delhi and has communicated directly with the West Bengal CEO about ground conditions.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar dialled the West Bengal CEO and enquired about the ground situation during Phase 1 polling, saying voting was going on well but there was scope for improvement. That phrase, scope for improvement, is the Election Commission's understated acknowledgment that Phase 1 was not entirely clean. Phase 2 is expected to be more tightly monitored.

The Sandeshkhali and Hingalganj constituencies in North 24 Parganas are under special security focus today. These two seats, where BJP candidates Sanat Sardar and Rekha Patra are contesting, are the most politically charged Phase 2 constituencies in terms of the emotional narrative around women's safety and citizenship. Both sides know their significance and both will be watching every booth closely.

Key Constituency-Level Signals to Watch Today

Bhabanipur: The turnout figure by noon will signal the Gujarati-Marwari trading community's participation rate. High trading community turnout above historical averages suggests they are motivated to vote for change. Normal turnout suggests status quo preference.

Bidhannagar: Professional class voter turnout in Salt Lake. If above 72 percent by noon, BJP's urban breakthrough story is on track. If below 65 percent, TMC holds comfortably.

Tarakeswar: Temple town religious community turnout before 11 AM. Religious voters in Tarakeswar tend to vote early. Strong early morning numbers here favour BJP.

Ranaghat belt Nadia: Matua community women voter turnout rate. This is BJP's most important demographic variable across all of Phase 2. Matua women casting their votes in Ranaghat Uttar Paschim, Chakdaha, and Krishnaganj by midday is the strongest possible BJP signal.

Diamond Harbour: Abhishek Banerjee's personal fortress. Low competitive pressure here but the margin of TMC's win in Diamond Harbour will indicate how effectively Abhishek's organisation has executed in Phase 2's South 24 Parganas seats more broadly.

Hingalganj: Whether Rekha Patra's booth agents are actually present and functioning at all the constituency's booths by 9 AM. In 2021, TMC's booth management suppressed opposition voting in Sundarbans fringe constituencies. If CAPF deployment today gives genuine booth-level freedom, the vote shifts dramatically.

Barrackpore: Where Arjun Singh's organisational machine is being truly tested. Midday turnout in Barrackpore's industrial worker-dominated wards will indicate whether the working-class anti-TMC sentiment he has been mobilising is translating into actual votes.

The SIR Ghost at Every Booth

The SIR removed around 9 million voters from the rolls in West Bengal, representing about 12 percent of the electorate. Over six million were categorised as absentee or deceased, while the status of 2.7 million remained pending before tribunals. Observers noted that roughly 65 percent of the undecided group were Muslims, while Dalit Hindus, especially from the Matua community, were also affected in certain districts.

The Special Intensive Revision controversy is the unseen variable at every Phase 2 booth today. In Phase 1, there were already incidents of voters arriving at booths to find their names absent despite Supreme Court orders protecting their right to vote.

An aged couple went to cast their votes at a booth in Bolpur of Birbhum. They were informed that their names were not on the voters' list. The duo showed the SC order but were refused entry. After the news spread, they eventually cast their votes in the afternoon. 

Phase 2 has even more SIR-affected constituencies than Phase 1. North 24 Parganas lost the highest number of names during SIR deletions among all Phase 2 districts. In Nadia's Matua belt, in North 24 Parganas' border constituencies, and in Kolkata itself, voters whose names were deleted but who have Supreme Court protection will be arriving at booths today. Whether the system processes them smoothly or creates another round of disenfranchisement incidents will be one of the most important stories of April 29.

What Each Party Needs From Today

For TMC, the minimum acceptable Phase 2 outcome is 98 to 105 seats. Combined with their expected Phase 1 haul of 82 to 92 seats, that produces a total of 180 to 197, a comfortable third consecutive government. TMC wins Phase 2 by executing its booth-level machine effectively in South 24 Parganas, holding Kolkata's minority-anchor constituencies, and preventing Rekha Patra and Suvendu Adhikari from winning their symbolic seats.

For BJP, Phase 2 is about maximising seats in Nadia's Matua belt, Bidhannagar and a handful of South Kolkata professional constituencies, and pulling off symbolic upsets in Bhabanipur, Hingalganj, and Sandeshkhali. If BJP can win 35 to 40 seats in Phase 2 combined with 65 seats in Phase 1, it reaches approximately 100 seats. That would be BJP's best ever Bengal tally. Still not government. But a historic performance that builds the 2029 foundation.

For Left-Congress, Phase 2 is about survival as a credible third force. Holding a handful of urban Kolkata seats and Muslim-minority fringe constituencies would signal that the traditional Bengal opposition has not been completely absorbed into the binary BJP-TMC contest.

The Numbers That Defined Phase 1 and What They Mean for Today

West Bengal Phase 1 recorded 92.86 percent voter turnout. By 9 AM on April 23, Phase 1 turnout stood at 18.76 percent. By 11 AM it had crossed 41 percent across most districts. By 5 PM it stood at 89.93 percent.

If Phase 2 replicates this trajectory, by noon today you should see turnout above 40 percent in Kolkata and above 45 percent in Nadia and North 24 Parganas. Any shortfall below 38 percent by noon in Kolkata suggests urban voter fatigue and means TMC's structured cadre advantage is playing out. Any surge above 45 percent in Kolkata's trading community wards by noon suggests an unusual urban voter energy that benefits BJP.

Watch the Election Commission's official turnout updates on the Voter Turnout App at 9 AM, 11 AM, 1 PM, 3 PM, and 5 PM by next Election Commission will official announced the Turnout. These numbers are the closest thing to a real-time signal available before May 4.

A Note on Exit Polls

Exit poll results for all five states, Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu, will be released tonight, April 29, after 6 PM when the last Phase 2 booth closes. This is the first time since April 9 that any poll data on election outcomes will be publicly available.

Exit polls cannot be conducted or disseminated until 6:30 PM on April 29 due to the Election Commission's ban on exit poll publication covering the entire multi-state election period.

After 6:30 PM tonight, every major polling agency, television network, and digital news outlet will release their exit poll projections simultaneously. Bharat and Beyond will bring you the complete exit poll analysis tonight and help you understand what the numbers mean for each of the five states.

Final Word on This Historic Day

West Bengal has voted in two extraordinary phases. Phase 1 produced the highest turnout in the state's history. Phase 2 today will determine whether that energy belongs to Mamata Banerjee or Narendra Modi. Whether the fortress of South Bengal holds or begins to crack. Whether Rekha Patra's story ends in victory or defeat. Whether Mamata Banerjee survives in Bhabanipur or becomes the second Chief Minister after Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy to be personally defeated in their own stronghold.

This election is not just about party symbols. Following a massive voter roll revision, millions of voters, a staggering majority of them women, found their names under adjudication or deleted entirely. In the Matua heartlands, the vote is no longer just a democratic right but a desperate assertion of belonging. 

That is what is really happening today across Bengal's 142 Phase 2 constituencies. Not just a contest between BJP and TMC. A contest between two visions of who belongs, who counts, and who decides the future of this remarkable and turbulent state.

Go vote if you are registered in Phase 2. Every vote that is cast today is a statement. Every vote that is not cast is an opportunity lost.

Results on May 4. Exit polls tonight.

Stay with Bharat and Beyond through every moment of this historic Bengal election season.