West Bengal Assembly Elections: Tensions Rise Amidst Peaceful Voting

The West Bengal Assembly elections have begun with a reported voter turnout of 18.76% in the first two hours. While most polling has been peaceful, tensions have arisen in specific areas, particularly in Murshidabad, where Congress claims their agents faced intimidation from Trinamool Congress supporters. Allegations of police bias in East Midnapore have also surfaced. Read on for a detailed overview of the situation as it unfolds.

By Narendra Chaudhary Apr 23, 2026, 11:36 IST

Polling Progress in West Bengal

Kolkata: The polling for 152 Assembly constituencies across 16 districts in West Bengal commenced smoothly on Thursday morning, with an initial voter turnout of 18.76% recorded by 9 AM, despite minor tensions in some areas.

According to data from the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal, West Midnapore saw the highest voter turnout at 20.51%, while Malda reported the lowest at 16.76%.

In the Raninagar Assembly constituency, located in the minority-heavy Murshidabad district, which has been flagged as highly sensitive by the Election Commission of India (ECI), tensions escalated early in the day. Congress party representatives claimed that their polling agent was forcibly removed from the booth by supporters of the ruling Trinamool Congress.

Zulfikar Ali, the Congress candidate for Raninagar, accused Trinamool Congress affiliates of hiding in nearby forests with weapons and intimidating voters. He stated, “They have forcibly evicted one of our agents from that booth.”

In the East Midnapore district, which includes the constituencies of Nandigram and Haldia, the Trinamool Congress alleged that police were unfairly targeting their supporters under the influence of the Leader of Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari.

Protests from Trinamool Congress workers were reported in both constituencies. Adhikari refuted these claims, asserting that the voting process was largely peaceful in both East and West Midnapore. He remarked, “They are making these unfounded accusations, anticipating their defeat. There are some tensions in Pingla due to the actions of the local inspector, Chinmoy Pramanik, and I have called for his suspension.”