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Updated on: April 24, 2026 10:03:02 AM IST
West Bengal Elections 2026 Live: The first phase of Assembly elections in West Bengal concluded on Thursday with a record voter turnout of over 92 per cent. The second and final stage of voting will take place on April 29 in the state.
- 1 minute agoPM Modi shares ‘Glimpses of Hooghly’
- 27 minutes ago“A New Era of Good Governance in Bengal”: Amit Shah after the first phase
- 34 minutes agoAmit Shah ‘ulta latka dunga’ threat to TMC ‘fools’
- 53 minutes agoAmit Shah addresses the nation at 10 am
- 57 minutes ago41 people were arrested on charges of violence
- 58 minutes agoPhase 1 summary
Amit Shah addresses a Kolkata crowd in Kolkata at 10 am.
West Bengal Election 2026 Live Stream: The ongoing elections in West Bengal are among the most violent in the country, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) aiming to oust the Trinamool Congress (TMC) after 15 years in power. The first phase of Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal concluded on Thursday with a record voter turnout. Despite a major review of electoral lists that led to the removal of thousands of names, voters cast their ballots in historic numbers.
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Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said these were the highest voter turnouts recorded in both West Bengal and Tamil Nadu since independence.
In West Bengal, the 152 constituencies participating in this phase witnessed a turnout of 92.35% by late evening. This is the highest level of participation in these specific areas since at least 2011.
Deleted names fail to deter voters
Even with nearly 10% names removed from the voter rolls in these seats, the absolute number of people who voted, 33.2 million, exceeded the total tally for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The highest activity was seen in Morarai at 96.95%, while Mekhliganj recorded the lowest at 82.12%.
This high participation has led both the ruling and opposition parties to claim that they are on the path to victory. For Prime Minister Mamata Banerjee’s TMC and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, the elections represent a high-stakes battle in the wake of a political firestorm over recent revisions to the voter list.
Limited relief for excluded voters
Despite strong voter turnout, a large number of people were unable to vote due to the controversial “logical inconsistency” category that was used during the review of electoral rolls. While 1.4 million people sought help to get their names back on the list before the first phase, only 139 people were acquitted by judicial courts.
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April 24, 2026 at 10:02:22 AM
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West Bengal Elections 2026 Live: PM Modi shares ‘Glimpses of Hooghly’
West Bengal Elections 2026 Live: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday received voters in Howrah and was seen clicking photos from a boat on the Hooghly River ahead of the second phase of polling (April 29).
He wrote on
April 24, 2026 at 9:36:35 am
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West Bengal Elections 2026 Live: ‘A New Era of Good Governance in Bengal’: Amit Shah after the first phase
West Bengal Elections 2026 Live: After the first phase witnessed a record voter turnout of 92%, Amit Shah “congratulated” the state’s voters for “casting historic votes in the first phase” and “breaking all turnout records in the grand festival of democracy”.
“I also congratulate the Hon’ble Election Commission, the brave personnel of all the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), and our West Bengal Police for ensuring the most peaceful and secure voting in the history of Bengal. This is the clarion call for a new era of good governance in Bengal,” the Home Minister wrote on X.
April 24, 2026 at 9:29:56 am
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West Bengal elections 2026 live: Amit Shah ‘ulta latka dunga’ threat to TMC ‘goons’
West Bengal Elections 2026 Live: After the first phase voting on Thursday, Amit Shah launched a strong attack on Mamata Banerjee’s TMC.
“Today, in the first phase, Didi’s goons did not come out of the house,” he wrote on
April 24, 2026 at 9:10:20 am
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West Bengal Election 2026 Live: Amit Shah addresses rally at 10 am in Kolkata
West Bengal Elections 2026 Live: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will take up an important issue related to the ongoing West Bengal Assembly elections at 10 am in Kolkata, the West Bengal unit of the BJP said.
April 24, 2026 9:06:29 AM
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West Bengal elections 2026 live: 41 people arrested for violence
West Bengal Elections 2026 Live: Police across West Bengal have arrested 41 people in connection with election-related violence. About 570 others were placed in pretrial detention.
The highest number of arrests were reported in Noda (9), followed by Kumarganj (5). Morarai and Cynthia recorded 4 arrests each, while Durajpur witnessed 3 arrests.
April 24, 2026 9:05:05 AM
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West Bengal Election 2026 Live: First Phase Voting Summary
West Bengal Elections 2026 Live: The first phase of the West Bengal elections witnessed a massive turnout but was marred by allegations of violence, clashes and glitches in the administration of e-voting across districts like Malda, Murshidabad and Dakshin Dinajpur.
The BJP alleged attacks on its workers and candidates, including Suvendu Sarkar, while the TMC responded with accusations of provocation and unrest.
Incidents involving Humayun Kabir sparked further clashes, along with reports of voter intimidation and disruption of the polling process.
Despite the tensions, some areas witnessed smooth voting.
The ballot boxes also witnessed dramatic scenes. An elephant wandered near the polling station in Jhargram and briefly disrupted the queues. It was also alleged that BJP workers and candidates were hounded in parts of the state. In Dakshin Dinajpur, BJP candidate Suvendu Sarkar was reportedly hounded and manhandled by TMC supporters amid polling day unrest.
India News West Bengal Elections 2026 Live: First phase sees record voting; Amit Shah issues threat to ‘hang upside down’ to ‘goons’
