"Observers from outside doing what BJP says": Mamata Banerjee slams EC officials, accuses them of indulging in "terrorism"

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], April 29 : As polling began for phase two of the Assembly elections, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC candidate from Bhabanipur, Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday levelled allegations against central forces and poll authorities.

She claimed irregularities and asserted that "new people" brought in were "doing whatever they want" during the ongoing voting process.

Speaking to the reporters, CM Banerjee said, "CRPF... There is a court order, but they are saying they will not obey it. We have issued a contempt of court notice, yet so many observers have come from outside. Whatever the BJP says, they are doing. Just look around, all our posters have been removed."

"Is this how polls take place? Votes will be cast by voters, not by the police or security forces. Some new people have recently been brought in, and they are doing whatever they want. They are doing terrorism," she said.

The second and final phase of the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026 has officially commenced, preceded by rigorous mock polls across the state's high-stakes corridors.

The scale of the final phase is massive, covering nearly half of the state's total assembly seats, 142 (out of 294).

The total electorate is around 3.21 crore (Male: 1,64,35,627 and Female: 1,57,37,418 and Third Gender: 792). 1,448 candidates are in the fray, including 220 women at 41,001 polling stations, with over 8,000 managed entirely by women.

The second phase of polling is crucial in shaping the electoral trajectory in the state, with 142 constituencies in Bengal going to vote. Authorities have put in place elaborate arrangements to ensure smooth and peaceful polling across regions.

After a record-shattering voter turnout in the first phase, West Bengal enters its second and final phase of polling today. This round is widely seen as the "litmus test" for the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), as voting moves into the party's traditional fortresses in South Bengal and Kolkata.

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