West Bengal voting sparks clashes April 29

West Bengal’s second and final Assembly election phase opened Wednesday across 142 constituencies, and reports of clashes and intimidation surfaced within hours. (thehindu.com) (ndtv.com) The Election Commission’s phase covers 3.21 crore voters, 1,448 candidates and seven districts in South Bengal, including 11 seats in Kolkata. Turnout reached 78.68% by 3 p.m., according to election officials cited by multiple outlets. (thehindu.com) (economictimes.indiatimes.com) In Kolkata, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Suvendu Adhikari said he was surrounded by Trinamool Congress supporters at a polling booth, and Central Reserve Police Force personnel and police used a mild lathicharge to disperse the crowd. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) (financialexpress.com) Other flashpoints were reported in Nadia, Hooghly and South 24 Parganas’ Bhangar, where rival parties accused each other of threatening polling agents and voters. NDTV reported violence and vandalism from Chapra, Shantipur and Bhangar during the early hours. (lokmattimes.com) (ndtv.com) The voting day is the decisive half of West Bengal’s 2026 Assembly election, with all 142 seats in the final phase concentrated in the south, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s party has long been strongest. More than half the 294-member Assembly is being decided in this round. (thehindu.com) (indiatoday.in) Security had already become a central issue before polling day. India Today reported that the National Investigation Agency had taken over a probe into the recovery of 79 crude bombs in Kolkata’s Bhangar area before the 48-hour silence period began. (indiatoday.in) Technical problems added to the tension. ABP Live reported that Central Reserve Police Force personnel detained two people after a clash in Bally that followed an electronic voting machine malfunction. (news.abplive.com) The parties offered sharply different versions of the day. BJP leaders alleged Trinamool-backed intimidation and booth capture attempts, while Trinamool leaders accused BJP workers of importing outsiders and provoking unrest. (hindustantimes.com) (newindianexpress.com) Polling was scheduled to continue until 6 p.m., with any repoll decisions or formal complaints left to election authorities after voting closed. The day’s central fact was that a high-turnout election in Bengal’s most important battleground again unfolded under heavy security and competing allegations of coercion. (thehindu.com) (hindustantimes.com)