'Singham' Cop Ajay Pal Sharma Inspects Booths for Fair West Bengal Polls

The deployment of the hardline IPS officer, famously dubbed Uttar Pradesh's 'Singham', has ignited fresh controversy in the already volatile South 24 Parganas. Tensions between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP escalated after a viral video surfaced showing the "encounter specialist" warning supporters of Trinamool Congress candidate Jehangir Khan against voter intimidation.

The 2011-batch officer, a Ludhiana native, has garnered significant attention for his "no-nonsense" policing style. This "dabang" reputation was the catalyst for his appointment to this sensitive region, a Trinamool Congress stronghold with a 36 per cent Muslim population. Amidst a record deployment of central forces, Sharma's presence underscores the Election Commission's firm stance on maintaining order in Bengal's most contested battlegrounds.

Meanwhile, as polling for the second phase of West Bengal is underway, voter turnout was recorded at 18.39 per cent till 9 a.m.

Polling began at 7 a.m. for 142 constituencies across six districts in West Bengal, including its capital, Kolkata, in the second phase of the two-phase Assembly polls.

The polling process started with mild tension in certain pockets from the very first hour.

In the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency in South Kolkata, which is witnessing a battle between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, the Chief Minister's brother, Kartik Banerjee, was cautioned by central forces for assembling near a police station with companions in excess of the permitted number.

The central forces cautioned him not to assemble near a polling station with more than four persons at a time.

At Bhawanipur-adjacent Rashbehari constituency, also in South Kolkata, mild tension broke out following allegations that ruling Trinamool Congress activists were not allowing Congress booth agents to enter a particular polling booth. Congress alleged 'hooliganism' in the Rashbehari Assembly constituency by the ruling party activists.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a social media post urging voters in West Bengal's 142 Assembly constituencies to vote in large numbers.

"Today is the second phase of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly elections 2026. I urge all those who are voting today to cast their votes in record numbers to make our democracy more vibrant and participatory. In particular, it is extremely urgent that the women and youth power of West Bengal turn out in large numbers to exercise their voting rights," the social media post by the Prime Minister read.

- IANS