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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday cast her vote at a polling station in Kolkata for the second phase of Assembly elections.
Banerjee is contesting the Assembly polls as a Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate from the Bhabanipur constituency. After casting her vote, Banerjee alleged that the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel have been beating people up and taking them into custody. She further asserted that TMC will win despite such incidents that amount to contempt of court. "The CRPF personnel and central observers are beating people; they have not even spared women and children. Since last night, they have started atrocities. How many of our people have they taken into custody? This is contempt of court. I have never seen such democracy. We will win, TMC is winning," the West Bengal CM told reporters here. The main contest in West Bengal in the 2026 Assembly polls is between the TMC and the BJP. The second phase of the polling is widely seen as the 'litmus test' for the TMC, as voting moves into the party's traditional fortresses in South Bengal and Kolkata. The second phase covers 142 out of 294 seats in West Bengal. The total electorate is around 3.21 crore, with 1,64,35,627 men, 1,57,37,418 women and 792 transgender voters.1,448 candidates are in the fray, including 220 women at 41,001 polling stations, with over 8,000 managed entirely by women. While 142 seats are up for grabs, all eyes are on the 'Big Five' urban contests. Apart from the high-stakes seat of Bhabanipur, Tollyganj, the heart of the Bengali film industry, is a high-profile, star-studded battle In the 2021 elections, the TMC dominated this specific belt, winning 123 of these 142 seats. For the BJP, this phase is about making inroads into the urban "bhadralok" vote and the Matua community. For the TMC, it is about holding the line to ensure a fourth consecutive term for Mamata Banerjee. The counting of votes will take place on May 4. (ANI)
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