West Bengal Election 2026 LIVE: Voting underway; BJP candidate claims ‘slight problem’ with machine

WEst Bengal Election 2026 unrecorded: Voting has begun for the indorse and last stage of elections in w Bengal, with over 1,448 candidates, including chief minister Mamata Banerjee, in fray across 142 constituencies. Across eight districts, voting will be held in 41,001 polling stations.Incumbent Mamata-led TMC government is seeking a fourth term in Bengal. The chief minister Mamata is tied in an intense fight with the Bharatiya Janata Party's Suvendu Adhikari on the Bhabanipur seat. The BJP leader is also contesting from Nandigram.The BJP looks to secure a mandate this time around after an improved tally of 77 seats in the last elections held in 2021.Security stepped upSecurity measures across the state were heightened ahead of the voting with almost 2,400 companies of CAPF being deployed across the state, Special Electoral Roll Observer Subrata Gupta was quoted as saying by ANI."The final preparation is good. We are prepared to host phase two of the elections tomorrow in 41,001 polling stations across eight districts in South Bengal. Almost 2,400 companies of CAPF are being deployed to maintain peace and law and order and also to ensure the security of the voters...We are prepared for the worst. While we believe that the planning which has gone into phase two will bear fruit in the form of a peaceful second phase, we are prepared to face any law and order issue," Gupta was quoted as saying on Tuesday.Gupta also said that some contingents will be equipped with body cameras, while all strong room complexes will be guarded by CAPF personnel. "CCTV cameras have been installed at the entry points of strong rooms, and the footage will be accessible to candidates and their agents," he said, adding that each polling booth will be manned by four security personnel and at least two web cams have been installed at every booth.IPS Ajay Pal Sharma's deployment kicks up rowAhead of the polls, the CRPF on Tuesday conducted a route march in the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency in South Kolkata.However, a search operation by the CRPF in Falta constituency under the leadership of IPS Ajay Pal Sharma, the election observer for South 24 Parganas district, set off a row. The TMC supporters gathered outside the office of party candidate Jahangir Khan, raising slogans against the security personnel while the search was underway.TMC supporters accused Election Commission-appointed police observer of "intimidating" party workers as senior party leaders and state ministers alleged that the Uttar Pradesh-cadre IPS officer, with a reputation of being an ‘encounter specialist’, was overstepping his role.Bengal elections of 2021Last assembly elections in Bengal were held in 2021 in eight phases spanning almost over a month between March 27 and April 29 with a turnout of almost 85 per cent. This was when the fatal second wave of Covid-19 pandemic had started tiding over the country. Mamata's TMC won 215 seats, while the BJP managed to secure 77 seats. The election was a big upset for the Congress and the CPIM as they failed to win even a single seat.