Mamata Banerjee Casts Vote in High-Stakes Bhabanipur By-Election Amid Tight Security
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari challenges CM in her political bastion; 142 constituencies vote in Phase 2 of West Bengal assembly elections
Quick Look
- West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee cast her vote at Mitra Institution school in Bhabanipur constituency on Wednesday, visiting several polling stations before 8 am amid tight security.
- The by-election in her political stronghold features a high-profile contest against Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, seen as a symbolic rematch of Nandigram where he defeated her in 2021.
- Voting is underway across 142 constituencies in Kolkata and six other districts, with the first phase recording a 93.19% turnout.
AI-generated summary
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday visited various booths in her Bhabanipur assembly constituency where polling is underway. The Bhabanipur assembly segment is Banerjee's political bastion, where she faces Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari in a prestige battle seen as a symbolic rematch of Nandigram, where he had defeated her in 2021.
The TMC chief generally goes out of her Kalighat residence in the afternoon on the polling day to cast her vote at Mitra Institution school. She, however, went out before 8 am to visit various polling stations in the Bhabanipur assembly segment, including those in the Chetla area, in south Kolkata.
Voting is underway in 142 constituencies in the second and final phase of the West Bengal assembly elections, amid unprecedented security arrangements. Polling started at 7 am with voters lining up outside booths across Kolkata, Howrah, North and South 24 Parganas, Nadia, Hooghly and Purba Bardhaman - districts that together form the political and electoral core of the state. Voting is scheduled to continue till 6 pm.
The first phase of the assembly elections on April 23 had recorded a turnout of 93.19 per cent - the highest ever in the state. Counting of votes will take place on May 4.
