Mamata alleges excesses by Central forces, Suvendu dismisses charges
The Statesman | 30 April 2026
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday accused Central forces of unleashing “terror” on Trinamul Congress workers, even as Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari rejected the claims as “frustration,” asserting that the Election Commission of India had ensured a markedly improved polling environment.
The sharp exchange came amid the second and final phase of polling across 142 Assembly constituencies in eight districts of south Bengal, where sporadic incidents of violence, technical glitches in EVMs, and confrontations between rival party workers were reported, though voting was largely peaceful in most areas.
Addressing reporters in Bhawanipore after visiting multiple booths, Miss Banerjee alleged that Central forces acted beyond their jurisdiction. “Look how our workers were beaten overnight. This is not how elections are conducted. This is a festival of democracy, but the BJP is trying to destroy it,” she said, adding that intimidation tactics would not deter her party.
Mr Adhikari, who also toured polling stations in Bhawanipore, said: “The Election Commission has changed the atmosphere of polling in Bengal. Voters are enthusiastic and cast their ballots freely. The allegations are nothing but an expression of frustration.”
Earlier in the day, Union home minister Amit Shah reportedly spoke to Mr Adhikari to take stock of the situation in the high-profile Bhawanipore constituency.
Despite the political war of words, polling proceeded amid tight security arrangements, with over 2,300 companies of Central forces and nearly 38,000 state and Kolkata Police personnel deployed.
The Election Commission had identified 4,388 booths as “hyper-sensitive.” However, incidents of tension surfaced in several pockets. In Santragachi, there were allegations of a lathi-charge by Central forces that left a child injured, though the forces denied the charge as baseless.
In Entally, BJP candidate Priyanka Tibrewal was involved in a heated altercation inside a booth over space constraints for polling agents. In Bhangar, clashes broke out between supporters of the Trinamul Congress and the Indian Secular Front (ISF) led by Nawsad Siddiqui. Both sides accused each other of attempting to disrupt voting, prompting intervention by police and Central forces, who resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the crowd.
Elsewhere, in Basanti, BJP candidate Bikash Sardar alleged that he was attacked and his vehicle vandalised during a booth visit. In Jagaddal, security personnel recovered a firearm near a polling booth, averting potential unrest.
Technical disruptions also marred polling in several constituencies. In Amta, an EVM malfunctioned multiple times at a booth, eventually showing zero votes despite over 300 ballots having been cast, raising concerns among voters and party agents. Officials later assured that VVPAT verification would address discrepancies. Similar complaints of EVM glitches and VVPAT issues were reported from Kasba-Belgachia and Monteswar, causing delays in voting. Meanwhile, high-profile voters exercised their franchise across the state.
Former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly cast his vote in Behala and expressed satisfaction over the peaceful conduct of polling in his area. Trinamul MP Abhishek Banerjee alleged that Central forces were intimidating voters, while CPI-M leader Sujan Chakraborty called for free and fair elections after casting his vote.
Isolated protests were also witnessed in Panihati and Kamarhati, while tensions flared in Falta over allegations that the BJP symbol on EVMs had been tampered with using adhesive tape. The Election Commission has sought a detailed report on the complaint.
Despite scattered disturbances, a significant voter turnout was recorded, with long queues seen outside polling stations, even in inclement weather conditions. The fate of 1,448 candidates will be decided by an electorate of over 3.21 crore voters in this final phase, which effectively concludes the electoral battle in the state.