West Bengal Exit Polls highlights: Close contest likely, 3 pollsters give edge to BJP; People's Pulse predicts TMC win

Weat Bengal election As of 9 am, 18.39% voting was recorded in the final phase of elections in Bengal. The highest turnout so far has been in Purba Bardhaman, where 20.86% voting was recorded, according the ECI.

West Bengal election news LIVE: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee flashed a clip towards the media on Wednesday, claiming that a Trinamool worker was beaten up.

“What kind of hooliganism is going on? Voting does not happen like this. Voting happens peacefully. It is a festival of democracy. But they have completely ruined it,” Banerjee said in an attack on the BJP, accusing the party of trying to rig elections.

West Bengal election news LIVE: Mamata Banerjee levelled big allegations against the central forces deployed in Bengal amid elections. “They are not allowing the councillor of Ward No. 70 to step out. They are picking up all our boys," Banerjee said. She claimed that “several observers have come from outside and are acting as per the BJP’s directions.”

“People are supposed to cast their votes, can voting take place like this?” she asked.

West Bengal election 2026 LIVE: In Howrah, some people alleged that voting was delayed and began at 8:30 am instead after “three failed voting attempts”.

According to ANI, chaos erupted outside a booth in Howrah after a “machine malfunctioning” delayed voting.

West Bengal election 2026 LIVE: Chaos erupted outside a polling booth in Howrah as voters claimed that polling began at 8:30 am due to a “machine malfunction”.

CRPF personnel were seen detaining people. There are allegations that some people were trying to disrupt the voting process.

West Bengal election 2026 LIVE: According to PTI, violence and vandalism during the early hours of voting for the second phase was reported in multiple locations, including Chapra, Shantipur, Nimtala and Bhangar.

West Bengal election 2026 LIVE: Violence was reported in parts of Bengal on Wednesday during the early hours of voting for the final phase of elections. According to a PTI report, BJP leaders have alleged that a polling agent was assaulted by "miscreants linked to the ruling TMC" at booth number 53 in Chapra in Nadia district.

West Bengal voting LIVE: An EVM glitch reportedly sparked violence in Bengal's Bally. According to PTI, the CRPF personnel detained two people. A clip showed a team carrying a man on the road.

West Bengal voting news LIVE: Trinamool Congress's National General Secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee arrived at a polling booth in Kolkata to cast his vote. His aunt and chief minister Mamata Banerjee is contesting from the Bhabanipur seat, which is among the 142 seats seeing elections today.

West Bengal voting LIVE: Priyanka Tibrwal, the BJP candidate from Entally constituency, got into a verbal altercation at a polling booth in Kolkata where she had gone to cast her vote.

According to news agency ANI, the candidate's polling agent was reportedly sent out due to the small size of the booth, and a Trinamool agent also joined in the altercation that unfolded thereafter.

Both the agents were sent out.

A video of the altercation has surfaced in which the BJP candidate can be heard shouting at officials present.

West Bengal voting LIVE updates: Taking a dig at the Trinamool Congress after casting his vote in Pursurah, BJP candidate Biman Ghosh said that party was a “private limited company of aunt, nephew” and said it would soon be “shut down”.

"Bengal will transform...TMC Private Limited Company of the aunt and nephew, will shut down. Its workers will have to look for other companies...To people I would like to say - Pehle matdaan, phir jalpaan," said Biman Ghosh.

Bengal weather today LIVE: One may have to carry their umberellas along as they step out to vote in Bengal today. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a thunderstorm warning for Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly, North 24 Parganas, West Midnapore, Bankura and East Bardhaman districts, and rain alert for West Midnapore and Hooghly.

Bengal election 2026 today LIVE: Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra arrived at polling booth number 120, Karimpur Girls High School in Nadia to cast her vote. When asked about her vehicular transport, an e-rickshaw, Moitra said: "Because the ECI has said that not to come by motorbike. So we have come by TOTO."

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: Both the BJP and the Trinamool Congress continued attacking each other over the past few weeks in Bengal as they campaigned for the Assembly elections.

The BJP accused the Trinamool of turning West Bengal into a haven for infiltrators, while Mamata Banerjee alleged that the saffron party was indulging in divisive politics, attempting to bifurcate the state and discouraging consumption of fish and eggs.

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls also remained a focus throughout.

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: The BJP candidate in Panihati who is also the mother of the RG Kar rape-murder victim cast her vote today. “I feel there is some problem with the press button on the EVM. It is taking time to press it, I will inform the officer...,” she was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

She also thanked voters for coming out early and urged more to step out and vote.

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: The mother of the RG Kar Medical College rape and murder victim, who is also the BJP candidate from Panihati seat, cast her vote on Wednesday.

The victim's father earlier turned emotional as he stepped out to vote. Fighting back tears, the father told news agency ANI, "It's very sad that we have to resort to this method to get justice for our girl. But we will win and get justice for our daughter... We are with the public..."

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra cast her vote at a polling booth in Nadia on Wednesday.

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: After casting her vote in the final phase, BJP's Sonarpur Dakshin candidate Roopa Ganguly said there was a “slight problem” with the machine which was fixed.

“There was a slight problem with the machine and battery. I quickly got it fixed,” she said during a media interaction.

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: Pursurah BJP candidate Biman Ghosh, Bhatpara candidate Pawan Singh and Sonarpur Dakshin candidate Roopa Ganguly cast votes in their respective constituencies on Wednesday.

“It felt great. Voting is being held peacefully. I hope it will be peaceful throughout the day. But I would like to urge people to vote as early as possible…,” Singh said.

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: Once voting for the final phase ends, focus will shift to exit polls. However, the Election Commission has barred exit poll projections until 6:30 pm today.

“The Election Commission under Section 126A of the RP Act 1951, has notified that the conduct of exit poll and dissemination of their results by means of print or electronic media is prohibited between 7:00 AM on 9 April 2026 (Thursday) and 6.30 PM on 29 April 2026 (Wednesday),” the poll panel said.

Hence, exit polls are expected only after the ECI's deadline ends.

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: BJP candidate in Noapara, Arjun Singh, cast his vote this morning. He said: “I have cast my vote. I have voted for a change. I have voted for the formation of a BJP Govt here...”.

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: Former Union Minister and next High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh, Dinesh Trivedi cast his vote at a polling booth in Kolkata. He was recently named the new high commissioner to Bangladesh, marking the first time the key position in Dhaka has been assigned to a political appointee in several decades.

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: The father of the RG Kar rape-murder victim turned emotional as he stepped out to vote in the final phase of elections in Bengal. His wife is contesting the elections from the Panihati seat as a BJP candidate.

Fighting back tears, the father told news agency ANI, "It's very sad that we have to resort to this method to get justice for our girl. But we will win and get justice for our daughter... We are with the public..."

Bengal exit poll 2026 LIVE: In the 2021 Assembly elections, pollsters had varied predictions on the outcome in Bengal. While Axis My India predicted a neck-and-neck fight between the BJP and the TMC, C Voter had said that out of 294 seats in Bengal, the Trinamool was projected to win 158. CNX Republic on the other hand said that the BJP would win 143 seats and the Trinamool 133 seats.

When the results were announced, the BJP won 77 seats in the 292 assembly, falling short of its 200+ goal.

Bengal election 2026 LIVE: Some of the key constituencies that are voting today are Bhabanipur, where Trinamool's Mamata Banerjee faces BJP's Suvendu Adhikari, Nandigram, another seat where Adhikari is contesting, Baharampur, from where veteran Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury is contesting an Assembly election after a gap of 25 years, among others.