Nort, h 24
Parganas, April 29: Trinamool Congress candidate from the Kamarhati Assembly constituency, Madan Mitra, on Wednesday exuded confidence in a landslide victory for the party as polling for West Bengal phase 2 ends with high voter turnout.
Speaking to ANI, Mitra said that the party would attribute the electoral success to the firm leadership of CM Mamata Banerjee and General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, noting their resilience throughout the campaign.
"If we win, we will give the greatest credit to Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee, who stood firm in the face of the storm...TMC will win around 200 plus seats," he said.
West Bengal on Wednesday recorded a remarkable voter turnout of 89.99% till 5 PM. Purba Bardhaman district continued to maintain the lead with a staggering turnout of 92.46%, followed by Hooghly recording a turnout of 90.34% and Nadia with 90.28% turnout, according to the Election Commission of India.
During the same period, Howrah witnessed a massive surge of voters with a 89.44% turnout. Kolkata North and South districts recorded a turnout of 87.77% and 86.11%, respectively.
Meanwhile, the North 24 Paraganas and South 24 Paraganas witnessed a turnout of 89.74% and 89.57% respectively.
The healthy figures highlight an intense wave of voter participation across both states as the polling is drawing to a close.
The main fight in West Bengal in the 2026 elections is between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP.
The second phase of the polling is widely seen as the 'litmus test' for the Trinamool Congress (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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