WB Assembly Elections 2026: BJP alleges symbol 'taped' at Diamond Harbour booths, slams TMC

Voting for the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026 concluded on Wednesday, witnessing a strong voter turnout. The key focus of the polling is the contest between Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari.

West Bengal recorded a voter turnout of 89.99% as of 5 PM on Wednesday during the second phase of the Assembly elections.

According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), Purba Bardhaman district continued to maintain the lead with a whopping turnout of 92.46%, followed by Hooghly (90.34%), Nadia (90.28%), Howrah (89.44%) and North 24 Parganas. South 24 Parganas witnessed a turnout of 89.74% and 89.57% respectively.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of major election malpractice in the stronghold of Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee, the nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The BJP alleged that its lotus symbol was "blocked using tape" in several polling booths in Falta in the Diamond Harbour area.

BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya posted a video showing an EVM with tape on the BJP symbol. "This is what Mamata Banerjee was defending when she spoke up for Jehangir Khan, a criminal contesting on a TMC ticket from Falta in Diamond Harbour. In several polling booths, the option to vote for the BJP has been blocked using tape, effectively preventing voters from exercising their choice," the caption read.

"This is the so-called 'Diamond Harbour Model', the same template that helped Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee secure his Lok Sabha seat," he added.

Malviya demanded an immediate re-election in all affected booths in Falta where such incidents occurred, sharing details of the booths involved.

The West Bengal Election Commission responded to the claims and assured that reports of button tampering will be thoroughly verified, adding that if found true, the affected booths will undergo repolling, reported news agency ANI.

Amid intense polling for the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026, an alleged case of assault has surfaced, as claimed by the Trinamool Congress (TMC). An 81-year-old man reportedly died in West Bengal's Howrah district on Wednesday after being assaulted by personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

The incident was reported from Udaynarayanpur and has intensified political tensions during the ongoing election period in the state. This is not the only such claim, as multiple incidents of alleged assault have come to light.

Earlier, BJP MP Jagannath Sarkar alleged that a party booth agent was beaten up by TMC workers in the Nadia-Chhapra constituency. Speaking to ANI about the alleged attack, Sarkar said, "Chhapra is a minority-dominated area where 'gundagardi' happens with the help of TMC, which does not want any BJP booth agents present in the constituency. We are demanding strict action in this incident."

In another case, an incident of violence was reported from Howrah, where an alleged EVM glitch reportedly sparked a clash, following which CRPF personnel detained two people. A video shows four security personnel holding a man by his hands and legs, dragging him along the ground and placing him inside a vehicle.

Earlier on Wednesday, a video shared by BJP West Bengal on X showed Ajay Pal Sharma, UP's encounter specialist deployed in West Bengal as a police observer in South 24 Parganas, issuing a stern warning to Falta TMC candidate Jehangir Khan, saying he would be "dealt with properly" if his people continued to "threaten" voters in the constituency ahead of the second phase of voting.