Officials Didn't Delete Names of Voters Dying 25 Years Ago to Protect Mamata Banerjee: BJP's Rudranil Ghosh
The second phase of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections saw a voter turnout of nearly 40% by 11 am, with Purba Bardhaman leading at 44.50%. BJP candidate Rudranil Ghosh accused CM Mamata Banerjee of blocking voter list revisions, while Congress MLC Bhai Jagtap expressed confidence in her return to power. With 142 seats at stake, this phase is a crucial test for the Trinamool Congress in its strongholds of South Bengal and Kolkata, as the BJP seeks to expand its urban and community base.
- Election News
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BJP candidate from Shibpur assembly seat, Rudranil Ghosh, on Wednesday alleged that due to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), valid names were not deleted by state officials from the voter list.
Speaking to ANI, Ghosh further accused CM Mamata of creating confusion among the public and defaming the Election Commission of India (ECI). He also alleged that the TMC had threatened the West Bengal officials, which prevents them from performing their duty.
"When Mamata Banerjee was protesting the SIR, she had said no names should be deleted. The officers didn't delete the names of people who died 25 years ago. This means that to defame ECI, to confuse, to mislead the people, Mamata Banerjee's officers here did this, which is against the ECI and the law of our country, just to protect Mamata Banerjee," Ghosh said.
"Now the question is, why did they do this? Are these officers bad? No, neither the police officers here are bad, nor are the government officials here bad; their family receives a death threat. They receive a harassment threat from the Trinamool. Meaning, whether you're a government official or a common citizen, if you speak negatively about Trinamool's illegal activities, you'll be threatened and prevented from doing your work," he added.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Congress MLC Bhai Jagtap expressed confidence in Mamata Banerjee's victory in West Bengal. "Definitely Mamata Banerjee is coming to power once again. She has done good work and the people of Bengal are inspired...even though we are contesting against her, facts remain facts," he told ANI.
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West Bengal recorded a voter turnout of 39.97 per cent until 11 am on Wednesday, as polling for the 142 seats in the second phase of Assembly elections is underway.
According to the Election Commission of India, Purba Bardhaman stood at the top, with a voting percentage of 44.50 per cent, followed by Hooghly, which has witnessed 43.12 per cent polling until 11 am.
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Kolkata North and Kolkata South recorded a voter turnout of 38.39 per cent and 36.78 per cent, respectively.
Nadia also recorded a sizeable turnout of 40.34 per cent.
The main fight in West Bengal in the 2026 elections is between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP. Earlier in the day, West Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari inspected the polling booths in Bhabanipur constituency. TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee cast his vote at the Mitra Institute polling booth in Bhabanipur.
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.