Across West Bengal, 41 individuals were arrested for poll-related violence, while 571 persons were taken into preventive custody. High levels of police action were seen in Nowda with 9 arrests, followed by 5 arrests in Kumarganj and 4 each in Murarai and Sainthia. Additionally, 3 individuals were arrested in Dubrajpur as part of the statewide effort to maintain order.

The sun of the TMC's corruption and hooliganism has set.
তৃণমূলের দুর্নীতি ও গুন্ডারাজের সূর্য অস্ত গেছে। pic.twitter.com/9n1sSPNeoT

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) April 23, 2026

"Highest ever percentage of polling in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu since Independence - ECI salutes each voter of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu," Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) was accused by the Congress of assaulting its poll agents in the Pirtala locality of Baharampur town. Several Congress workers were reportedly beaten by TMC-affiliated goons, after which the injured were moved to a hospital by the Congress candidate once the location was reached. A formal complaint has been filed by the Congress with the Election Commission in relation to the matter.

Sweets, and also jhalmuri (a spicy bouquet of lentils, flattened rice, peanuts), will be distributed when election results in four states and a Union Territory are declared on May 4, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared during a poll rally in Bengal on Thursday.

The options, a combination of sweet and sharp, lean into Bengal's food choices.

"You must wave the flag of the BJP-NDA's victory with full strength. On May 4, the celebration of the BJP's victory will also take place in Bengal, sweets will also be distributed, and jhalmuri will also be handed out," PM Modi said at a campaign rally at Krishnanagar in Nadia district, which is going to polls in the second phase on April 29.

"Jhalmuri has also given a thunderous shock to some people. I ate the jhalmuri, but the jhal (spice) hit Trinamool," PM Modi said, taking a swipe at Mamata Banerjee's party.

Time                        Voting %

9:00 AM                  18.76%

11:00 AM                41.11%

1:00 PM                  62.18%

3:00 PM                  78.77%

5:00 PM                 89.93%

West Bengal has recorded 89.93 per cent voting till 5 pm.

The state recorded a voter turnout of over 78.8 per cent till 3 pm.

As the first phase of polling for the West Bengal Assembly elections began on Thursday morning, singer Arijit Singh's father, Surinder Singh, arrived at a polling booth in Murshidabad to cast his vote.

After casting his vote, Surinder spoke to ANI and shared that the process was smooth and peaceful at the booth. He also wished that everything continues in the same manner during the elections.

"Everything is good. May everything go well. There is no problem at all. Voting is going on smoothly. I have cast my vote," he said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said "not a single intruder" would be allowed to enter West Bengal if the BJP comes to power, and the illegal immigrants already here would be "selectively rooted out".

Addressing a public rally at Balagarh in Hooghly district on a day when voting for the first phase of polls was underway, he said the BJP was poised to form a government in the state with a full majority.

Allegations of voter intimidation have surfaced from Murshidabad and Trinamool workers clashed with Humayun Kabir in the same district as West Bengal votes in phase 1.

West Bengal's Dakshin Dinajpur leads with 81.49 pc polling till 3:00 PM.

The BJP on Thursday alleged that its Kumarganj nominee Suvendu Sarkar was manhandled by Trinamool Congress supporters during polling in the first phase of the West Bengal assembly elections.

Sarkar was beaten up while he was going to a polling booth in the constituency after he came to know about chaos allegedly created by TMC activists near the voting centre.

Sarkar, who had to run through the field with a lone security personnel to save himself, later told reporters that he was surrounded by goons and beaten up.

"I did not see any central force personnel during the incident," he said.

West Bengal has recorded 78.8 per cent voting till 3 pm.

The state recorded a voter turnout of over 62.18 per cent till 1 pm.

Speaking at a poll poll rally in Bengal's Mathurapur, PM Modi said that 'bumper' voter turnout in the first phase shows 'bhoy' (fear) getting defeated by 'bharosa' (trust).

BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul's car was attacked during the first phase of voting in West Bengal.

Stones were reportedly thrown at her car, damaging the glass of the vehicle in the Rahmat Nagar area. She has filed a complaint at Hirapur Police Station.

Paul is contesting from Asansol South.

VIDEO | West Bengal Election 2026: BJP candidate from Asansol Dakshin seat Agnimitra Paul's car was reportedly stoned damaging the glass of the vehicle in Rahmat Nagar area. She has filed a complaint at Hirapur Police Station.#AssemblyPollsWithPTI#WestBengalPollsWithPTI
(Full… pic.twitter.com/0oYx4VRIN9

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 23, 2026

West Bengal has recorded 62.18 per cent voting till 1 pm, with Paschim Medinipur leading with 65.77 per cent polling.

The state recorded a voter turnout of over 41 per cent till 11 am.

Voters at a polling booth in Gorabazaar complained of an EVM malfunction, following which Congress candidate Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury dialled an election official and requested to resolve the issue.

"The common voters, who are under sweltering heat, are forced to go back to their homes," he was heard telling the official.

It depends on you how this situation can be tackled, Chowdhury, a former five-time MP who is contesting from the Baharampur assembly, said.

He also told the official that he had spoken to a presiding officer, who said they were in a "helpless situation".

"Right now, your intervention is imperative. The EVM here has been changed for the fourth time, and even the changed EVM is also non-functional," he

#WATCH | Murshidabad | Congress candidate from Berhampore Assembly constituency, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, speaks to an election official on the phone, urging the official to resolve the EVM malfunction at the polling booth. He says, "The EVM at booth 141 has been malfunctioning.… pic.twitter.com/glTfcuqX6I

— ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2026

District-wise data showed Paschim Medinipur is currently leading in voter turnout with 44.69 per cent, followed by Jhargram 43.71 per cent, Bankura 43.22 per cent and Purba Medinipur 42.16 per cent.

A relatively lower turnout was recorded in Malda at 38.22 per cent, Cooch Behar 38.56 per cent and Alipurduar 38.80 per cent, Election Commission data showed.

The TMC has accused the police of working in favour of the BJP in Nandigram, with Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleging that the "goons" of the ruling party were threatening people in the area.

Addressing a press conference, state minister Shashi Panja alleged that police personnel deployed in Nandigram in Purba Medinipur district were acting in favour of the BJP.

She said a TMC delegation met Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal and lodged a formal complaint, seeking the removal of two police officers from poll duty.

"The presence of these officers is raising serious concerns about the neutrality in the polling process," she claimed.

The BJP rejected the allegations, with Adhikari alleging that "TMC-sheltered goons" were threatening voters.

"Murder accused Sheikh Sahabuddin is roaming in the area freely. He is visiting booths where Hindu voters are in the majority and threatening them. I am visiting those booths to reassure the voters," he told reporters.

"I am not here for Hindu-Muslim polarisation. I am here to fight criminals and stop them. The criminals here are TMC leaders belonging to a particular community," he alleged.

West Bengal has seen over 41% voting till 11 AM.

An elephant was seen in a "voting line" outside a polling booth in Jhargram's Jitushol, causing alarm among voters and a brief disturbance.

The elephant, known as 'Ramlal' to the locals, did not harm anyone and moved away on its own.

VIDEO | West Bengal Polls: An elephant entered the area near the polling station at Jitusol Primary School in Jhargram.
(Source: Third Party)#AssemblyPollsWithPTI #WestBengalPollsWithPTI
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/UN6axPscmO

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 23, 2026

Congress's Suri candidate Sanjoy Adhikari alleged he was unable to cast his vote despite reaching his polling station at 7 am due to an EVM glitch.

"We have already lodged a complaint with the district magistrate and the local polling officer, yet the machine has not been repaired so far. Hundreds of voters are already standing in queues before the booth, and there's no EC representative here who can tell us when polls will resume," Adhikari told the PTI news agency.

He said the party has urged the EC to extend the polling hours at the affected booth or consider re-polls if the EVM isn't restored quickly.

Humayun Kabir, who floated the Amjanata Unnayan Party after being suspended from the TMC, was seen in a heated argument with a police officer in Murshidabad.

Speaking to NDTV later, he said that Trinamool workers were trying to stop him.

Kabir was visiting an area where a crude bomb was reportedly thrown yesterday.

Workers of Trinamool Congress and Humayun Kabir's Amjanata Unnayan Party (AUP) have clashed in Murshidabad amid voter intimidation allegations.

AJUP & Trinamool Congress clash in Murshidabad on polling day; AJUP founder Humayun Kabir speaks to NDTV's @RittickMondal #BattlegroundBengal #ElectionsWithNDTV #WestBengalElections pic.twitter.com/ac0VWgi0I8

— NDTV (@ndtv) April 23, 2026

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee defends her 15-year fortress
NDTV's @MickyGupta84 reports from Siliguri and @RittickMondal reports from Murshidabad #BattlegroundBengal #ElectionsWithNDTV #WestBengalElections pic.twitter.com/qQbxDvULUt

— NDTV (@ndtv) April 23, 2026

International delegates accompanied by the officials of the Election Commission visited some polling stations of Darjeeling district and witnessed the ongoing polling process.

They called the arrangements "wonderful… systematic, very well managed", the poll body said.

It is learnt that as part of the EC's international election visitors’ programme (IEVP) 2026, a 13-member delegation from countries like Namibia, Georgia, Nepal, the Philippines, Switzerland, Kenya, and International IDEA is currently in West Bengal to review the first phase of the elections.

The Election Commission has sought a report from officials over allegations that several people were prevented from casting their votes in Murshidabad district's Domkal during the first phase of the West Bengal assembly polls.

Several voters in Domkal alleged that they were threatened and intimidated, with some claiming they were warned of assault if they attempted to reach polling stations.

🔴#BREAKING | Allegations surface of voter intimidation in West Bengal; Police convince voters to head to polling booth
NDTV's @Manogyaloiwal reports from details from Kolkata pic.twitter.com/zI9zyaT0AX

— NDTV (@ndtv) April 23, 2026

They also alleged that neither the local police nor the central forces were seen in the area early in the morning.

Bengal has recorded a voter turnout of 18.76% in the first two hours, with the highest turnout in Paschim Medinipur (20.5%), Bankura (20.2%) and Jhargram (19.8%).

District Integrated Command & Communication Centre at Coochbehar district of West Bengal.
ভোটের পর্ব, পশ্চিমবঙ্গের গর্ব#WBLA2026 #Phase1 #ControlRoom @ECISVEEP@SpokespersonECI@PIBKolkata@airnews_kolkata@deocoochbehar pic.twitter.com/oSTrXDlsRt

— CEO West Bengal (@CEOWestBengal) April 23, 2026

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed to the people of West Bengal to take part in the voting for the Assembly elections.

He especially urged the youth and women of the state to vote in record numbers.

"Phase 1 of the West Bengal Assembly elections takes place today. I urge all citizens to participate in this festival of democracy with full strength. I especially appeal to my young friends and to the women of West Bengal to vote in large numbers," he said on X.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has urged the people of West Bengal to vote in large numbers and ensure that the ideals of democracy, social justice, equality, and freedom remain intact.

In a post on X, Kharge said, "As West Bengal votes in the first phase of Assembly elections today, I sincerely urge all citizens to step out and participate in large numbers. Do not be deterred by forces that seek to discourage you." "Your vote is your voice, and it must be resoundingly heard," he said.

Urging the people of the state to follow the path shown by the Constitution and uphold the spirit of democracy, the Congress chief said, "West Bengal is the proud land of great leaders who stood for Democracy, social justice, equality, and freedom. We need to ensure those ideals remain intact."

"I make a special appeal to the first-time voters - exercise your right with conviction and help ensure that true development reaches every corner of the state. Jai Hind. Jai Bangla," Kharge said in his post.

Trinamool invoked its "Maa (mother), Mati (soil/land), Manush (human)" slogan again to urge voters to vote for them.

"The first phase of polling is underway in Bengal. We call on every single voter to exercise their democratic franchise, freely, fairly, and without fear. Walk in with your head held high. Vote to honour our Maa. Vote to defend our Mati. Vote to protect our Manush," the party posted on X.

"Vote to sustain the momentum of development in Swanirbhor Bangla. Vote to safeguard the rights of every individual. And vote to answer decisively for the years of neglect, torment, deprivation, and exploitation inflicted by Bangla-Birodhi Bohiragoto Zamindars. bove all, use the power of your vote to send a crushing message to those who conspired to take that very power away from you. Your vote is your voice. Your vote is your verdict," Mamata Banerjee's party added.

The BJP's Suvendu Adhikari voted at a polling station in Nandigram.

#WATCH | West Bengal Elections 2026 | State LoP & BJP Candidate from Nandigram & Bhabanipur, Suvendu Adhikari casts his vote at a polling station in Nandigram
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee is contesting against him from the Bhabanipur Assembly Constituency. pic.twitter.com/pEEbueML2b

— ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2026

Agnimitra Paul, the BJP candidate from the Asansol South Assembly constituency, cast her vote and said the voters will "remove" the TMC.

"We are sure that the people of Bengal will vote for BJP... They are determined to remove TMC... This is a war to save Bengal," she said.

#WATCH | West Bengal Elections 2026 | Asansol | BJP candidate from Asansol South Assembly constituency, Agnimitra Paul shows her inked finger after casting her vote
She says, "We are sure that the people of Bengal will vote for BJP... They are determined with remove TMC, who is… pic.twitter.com/P1xnxGCLOB

— ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2026

BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, who is contesting from his stronghold Nandigram and also challenging Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur, which goes to polls in the second phase on April 29, is among key BJP faces in the first phase.

Union Minister Nisith Pramanik is also fighting from Mathabhanga, and former state BJP president Dilip Ghosh from Kharagpur Sadar.

The prominent Trinamool Congress candidates contesting in this phase include Goutam Deb from Siliguri, Udayan Guha from Dinhata, Firhad Hakim from the Kolkata Port area and Pabitra Kar from Nandigram.

This time, the revision has taken around 89 lakh voters off the list, the number corresponding to roughly 11.6 per cent of the electorate.

What has had the Trinamool concerned is the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list that has knocked off around 89 lakh voters --  roughly 11.6 per cent of the state's electorate. The figure is slightly more than the winning margin of the Trinamool Congress in 2021.

In 2021, Banerjee's party had polled 10 per cent more votes -- 48 per cent to the BJP's 38 per cent. 

The SIR impact, figures show, has pared down the voter list by more than 11.6 per cent in multiple districts where the Trinamool's winning margin is slim.

After three straight terms since 2011, when she toppled the 35-year CPM regime, many say this could be the toughest election Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is facing.

A similar tag, though, was bestowed in 2021, when her Trinamool Congress had scooped up 215 seats -- their best performance. The BJP had won 77 seats.

Around 3.6 crore voters in 152 of the state's 294 constituencies across 16 districts  -- including Nandigram and north Bengal's Darjeeling, Siliguri, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar -- are expected to vote today. A close contest is expected in at least 80 seats.

Long queues of voters were seen outside polling stations as polling for the first phase of assembly elections began at 7 am.

#WATCH | West Bengal Elections 2026 | Long queues of voters formed outside a polling station in Asansol as polling for the first phase of State Assembly elections gets underway. pic.twitter.com/IsaBE2PTNt

— ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2026

For Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress and the opposition, the BJP, it is a desperate battle amid the political firestorm over the voter list revision.

West Bengal is voting today in the first phase of the assembly elections, with polling being held in 152 constituencies across north Bengal and several districts in the southern part of the state.