BJP leader and former MP Arjun Singh on Wednesday alleged interference in the polling process in West Bengal, claiming that a dummy Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) had been placed outside a booth in North 24 Parganas to influence voters.
The allegation comes as voting for the second phase of the Assembly elections gathers pace across key districts, including South Bengal and Kolkata – regions widely seen as crucial to the electoral fortunes of the ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party.
Speaking to ANI, Singh said a “false EVM” was kept outside booth numbers 82–83 in Mayapally under the Noapara Assembly constituency.
“We had received information that a false (dummy) EVM was placed outside booth number 82-83 in Mayapally (Noapara Assembly Constituency), and voters were told which button to press,” he said.
The BJP leader alleged that such tactics were aimed at influencing voter choice.
Polling began early in the morning for 142 constituencies in the second phase, with an initial turnout of 18.39 per cent recorded till 9 am.
Among districts, Purba Bardhaman reported the highest turnout at 20.86 per cent, followed by Hooghly at 20.16 per cent. Nadia saw 18.50 per cent voting, while North 24 Parganas recorded 17.81 per cent.
Urban centres saw slightly lower participation, with Kolkata North logging 17.28 per cent and Kolkata South 16.81 per cent. Howrah reported a turnout of 17.76 per cent in the same period.
The second phase is being closely watched as a key test for the Trinamool Congress, with polling shifting to its traditional strongholds in South Bengal and Kolkata.
The contest is largely seen as a direct battle between the TMC and the BJP. Earlier in the day, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari visited polling booths in Bhabanipur, while TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee cast his vote at the Mitra Institute booth in the constituency.
The second phase covers 142 of the state’s 294 Assembly seats, with a total electorate of around 3.21 crore. This includes 1,64,35,627 men, 1,57,37,418 women and 792 transgender voters.
A total of 1,448 candidates, including 220 women, are contesting across 41,001 polling stations. More than 8,000 of these booths are being managed entirely by women.
Apart from Bhabanipur, key urban battlegrounds include Tollyganj, considered the heart of the Bengali film industry, adding a high-profile edge to the contests.