EVM 'Glitch', Violence During Polling, Mamata Banerjee's "Terrorism" Charge

Violence and vandalism - from multiple locations, including Chapra, Shantipur, and Bhangar - were reported early Wednesday during voting for the second phase of the Bengal election. News agency PTI said a BJP candidate from the Entally seat, Priyana Tibrewal, had a spat with polling officers and security personnel after her representative was ejected from a booth.

The agent was reportedly ordered out because the booth was very small. A representative of the Trinamool candidate for the seat also joined the squabble, after which both were told to leave. "See how irked they are. They have 10 people inside to get a button pressed..." she said.

In a similar incident in Chapra in Nadia district, another BJP agent was allegedly assaulted by people linked to the Trinamool, party leaders said. A senior cop said the agent - Mosharef Mir - was admitted to a local hospital. Mir claimed over a dozen Trinamool workers - one of whom had a gun - rushed at him and hit him with a rod.

The BJP's Saikat Sarkar, standing from the Chapra seat, blamed the assault on Trinamool workers and said they "hit him on the head, causing injury". A police case has been filed. The Trinamool has denied responsibility for the assault.

#WATCH | West Bengal Elections 2026 | At around 5:30 am today, a group of miscreants attacked BJP polling agent Mosharraf Mir of booth number 52 of Hatra Panchayat, Chapra Assembly constituency in Nadia with iron rod and guns. Later, Chapra police rescued him and admitted him to… pic.twitter.com/UO4ph1LBdu

— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2026

There was also a report of malfunctioning EVMs, or electronic voting machines, in Howrah.

A video shared by PTI showed a man (it is unclear which party he is affiliated with) being dragged away by paramilitary personnel and a policeman who have each grabbed an arm or leg. The video also shows two armed security personnel attacking another man with lathis.

#Watch | An EVM glitch reportedly sparks clash in Bally. CRPF personnel detain two people#BattlegroundBengal #ElectionsWithNDTV #WestBengalElections pic.twitter.com/g4gXfLwrQD

— NDTV (@ndtv) April 29, 2026

EVMs are a longstanding electoral flashpoint. Opposition parties routinely accuse the BJP of rigging these to ensure wins for their candidates. The Election Commission, however, has repeatedly stressed on the machines' security measures.

In a related development, the BJP's Amit Malviya fired a massive accusation at the Trinmaool. He said the ruling party's workers had taped over the button to vote for the party in some booths. "In several booths, the option to vote for the BJP has been blocked using a tape, effectively preventing voters from exercising their choice. 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 said.

READ | BJP Slams Trinamool's 'Diamond Harbour Model', Says EVM Button 'Taped'

"We demand an immediate repoll in all affected booths... where such incidents have occurred," Malviya said.

Damage to property, meanwhile, was reported from Shantipur; furniture in a local BJP camp was smashed and this triggered tension in the area, police said. And over in Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district, allegations surfaced that a polling agent from the Indian Secular Front - a fledgling outfit part of the Left Front+ - was prevented from entering a voting booth.

A car belonging to BJP's South 24 Parganas candidate Bikash Sardar was vandalised; visuals showed the rust orange-coloured Maruti Baleno with its rear windshield shattered. The party blamed this also on Trinamool workers.

Car belonging to a BJP leader allegedly vandalised by Trinamool workers.

The clashes led to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee - locked in a fierce two-way fight with the Bharatiya Janata Party - accusing central security forces of "acting at BJP's behest".

"Central forces are picking on our people... polling can't be done like this," she said, slamming the BJP for having brought in 'observers' from outside, a reference to earlier criticism about the party and the Election Commission colluding to engineer a win for the former, including by replacing high-ranking police and administrative officials within the state government.

"So many observers have come from outside (and) whatever BJP says, they are doing. Just look... our posters have been removed. Is this how polls take place? Votes will be cast by voters, not security forces. Some new people have been brought in... they are doing terrorism."

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC candidate from Bhabanipur Assembly constituency, Mamata Banerjee, says, "...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… pic.twitter.com/xYFpFLUSan

— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2026

Banerjee's nephew and the party's second-in-charge, Abhishek Banerjee accused the same observers of having "exceeded their mandate" after casting his vote in the Bhabanipur seat.

Bhabanipur is a stronghold of the Trinamool , having been won by Mamata Banerjee in 2011, 2016, and 2021. The 2026 election here is a high-profile clash between the Chief Minister and her aide-turned-rival Suvendu Adhikari.

READ | Mamata Banerjee Vs Suvendu Adhikari In Focus As Bengal Votes In Phase 2

This is the second and final phase of the Bengal election; the first was on April 23 and the results will be declared May 4. This election takes place against the backdrop of the controversial EC-mandated Special Intensive Revision of the electoral roll.

The SIR was meant to cut dead, duplicate, and illegal voters, as well as those who no longer live in the state.

NDTV Special | Decoding The Record-Breaking Bengal Voting Figures

The revision has seen 90.8 lakh voters dropped from the rolls, a cut that the Trinamool claims was orchestrated by the poll body to disenfranchise voters sympathetic to the BJP's rival. The BJP and Election Commission, however, have denied this.

Voting percentage for the first phase was a record 92.88 per cent.

With input from agencies