TMC-BJP workers reportedly clash in Hooghly, CRPF resumes peaceful polling after "minor incident"

Hooghly (West Bengal) [India], April 29 : Amidst the ongoing second phase polling across 142 constituencies in West Bengal, BJP and TMC polling agents reportedly clashed at booth numbers 147 and 148 at the Ramchandrapur Adarsha Bidyabhaban polling station in the Khanakul assembly constituency.

According to CRPF Sub-Inspector Usha, the voting in the region has resumed peacefully following the "minor incident". "It was a minor incident. Right now, voting is taking place in a peaceful manner. CRPF's all-women 240th Battalion is deployed here," she said.

Apart from this incident, several other cases of clashes and violence have been reported from other areas of West Bengal.

A violent clash erupted in the morning near the primary high school in the Hatra Bazaar area located in the Nadia district. The polling booth is set up at Hatra Bazaar Primary School, where tensions reportedly flared between workers of the All India Trinamool Congress and ISF.

According to the Chapra police, several people have been arrested in connection with the incident. Congress candidate from Chapra (82), Ashif Khan, alleged that TMC supporters and leaders are intimidating voters across the area.

He claimed that Congress booth agents were not allowed to enter the polling station and were threatened at their homes, with warnings that no one should assist the Congress.

Ashif Khan said he plans to lodge a formal complaint with the election authorities regarding the incident.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Jagannath Sarkar has alleged that a party booth agent was beaten up by Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers in the Nadia-Chapra Assembly constituency. He has demanded strict action against the people responsible.

Speaking toover the alleged attack, BJP MP Jagannath Sarkar said, "Chapra is a minority-dominated area where 'gundagardi' happens with help from TMC, which doesn't want any BJP booth agents present in the constituency. We are demanding strict action in this incident."

Around 5:30 am on polling day, BJP polling agent Mosharraf Mir, assigned to booth number 53 under Hatra Panchayat, was allegedly assaulted with iron rods and firearms by unidentified individuals.

Police officials rescued him and admitted him to Chapra Rural Hospital, where he is undergoing treatment. He has received six stitches on his head.

Sarkar further alleged that BJP workers and booth-level functionaries are being targeted to prevent the party from carrying out its electoral duties in the region. He also demanded strict action in the matter and urged authorities to ensure the safety of political workers on the ground.

West Bengal recorded a voter turnout of 18.39 per cent until 9 am, as polling for the remaining 142 seats across the state commenced earlier in the day.

Purba Bardhaman stands at the top, with a voting percentage of 20.86%, followed by Hooghly, which has witnessed 20.16 % polling until 9 am on Wednesday. 18.50 per cent polling has taken place in Nadia; meanwhile, North 24 Parganas has 17.81 per cent votes.

Kolkata North and Kolkata South have experienced 17.28% and 16.81% polling, respectively, whereas 17.76 per cent voting has taken place in Howrah.

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 the 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.

The results of West Bengal polls will be declared on May 4, along with the outcome of polls in Assam, Keralam, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

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