BJP Alleges EVM Tampering in West Bengal’s Phase 2 Polls; Election Commission Orders Re-polling Where Complaints Are Verified
Voting marred by violence, ink stains on EVM buttons, and tape allegations across constituencies as 142 seats go to polls in Bengal’s second phase — 61% turnout recorded by 1 PM
KOLKATA, April 29, 2026 — West Bengal’s second phase of assembly elections, covering 142 constituencies, witnessed widespread allegations of electoral malpractice on Wednesday, with the BJP claiming Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were tampered with in multiple locations to disadvantage the party.
In the most serious allegation of the day, the BJP claimed that in Falta under the Diamond Harbour constituency, tape was stuck over the BJP candidate’s button on an EVM, potentially preventing voters from casting their ballot for the party. West Bengal’s Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal responded swiftly, stating that re-polling would be ordered at all booths where such complaints are found to be genuine. He added that if a large number of booths in a single assembly constituency report such violations, the entire constituency could face fresh elections.
In a separate incident in Panihati, voters and party workers raised an objection after ink stains were found on the BJP symbol button of an EVM, making it difficult to identify clearly. Voting at the affected booth was suspended for nearly an hour while sanitizer was used to clean the button. The situation escalated when TMC workers arrived at the scene and clashed with BJP candidate Ratna Debnath’s chief election agent.
Ratna Debnath — the mother of the RG Kar rape victim and the BJP’s candidate from Panihati — alleged that she was personally targeted. “They sent goons who attacked me while chanting ‘Go Back,'” she said, adding that police refused to intervene when she sought their help.
Meanwhile, BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari, who is contesting against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Bhawanipore, was surrounded by TMC supporters raising “chor chor” (thief thief) slogans when he arrived at a polling booth for inspection. Later, as he passed within 100 metres of CM Mamata’s Kalighat residence, locals raised “Go Back” slogans, to which Adhikari responded with “Jai Shri Ram” chants. Speaking to the media afterward, he alleged that he was attacked by “outsiders” at the booth, describing most of the sloganeers as Muslim youth accompanied by two to four women.
In South 24 Parganas, BJP candidate Vikas Sardar alleged that TMC workers smashed the windows of his car. In Satgachhia, a child was reportedly injured in a lathicharge carried out by central forces. In Howrah, two individuals were detained by the CRPF amid allegations of EVM tampering. In Canning, TMC candidate Paresh Ram Das alleged that a polling agent was beaten and dragged out of a booth by CRPF personnel, a claim the paramilitary force has yet to respond to.
By 1 PM, voter turnout across the 142 seats stood at 61.11%. In the first phase held on April 23, a record 93% turnout was recorded across 152 seats. Results for both phases are expected on May 4.
In the 2021 assembly elections, the TMC had won 123 of these 142 seats.
