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Kolkata: West Bengal heads into the decisive second and final phase of the 2026 Assembly elections on Wednesday, with the high-stakes showdown between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari in Bhabanipur emerging as the marquee battle of the polls.

Polling will be held across 142 constituencies spread over Kolkata and adjoining districts, with political observers viewing this phase as crucial in determining the final outcome of the fiercely fought Bengal contest. Counting for all 294 Assembly seats will take place on May 4.

The second phase covers Assembly segments numbered 77–202 and 259–274, spanning Kolkata, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, Purba Bardhaman and Nadia districts. More than 3.22 crore voters are eligible to cast their votes in this phase, including over 57,000 persons with disabilities.

The Election Commission has set up 41,001 polling stations, including 39,301 main polling stations and 1,700 auxiliary booths, while central forces have been heavily deployed to ensure smooth and peaceful voting in sensitive constituencies.

Bhabanipur Battle Takes Centre Stage

All eyes are on Bhabanipur where Mamata Banerjee is seeking re-election from her political bastion against Suvendu Adhikari, the BJP’s most prominent face in Bengal and the architect of the saffron party’s aggressive campaign against the ruling TMC.

The contest is being seen as a direct prestige battle between the two leaders, with both camps investing massive organisational and political resources into the constituency. The seat has witnessed an intense campaign centred around governance, Bengali identity, development and corruption allegations.

Apart from Bhabanipur, several heavyweight leaders and ministers are also locked in key contests across Kolkata and South Bengal, making the second phase politically decisive.

Key BJP Vs TMC Battles In Phase 2

• Bhabanipur: Suvendu Adhikari (BJP) vs Mamata Banerjee (TMC)
• Rashbehari: Swapan Dasgupta (BJP) vs Debasish Kumar (TMC)
• Sonarpur Dakshin: Rupa Ganguly (BJP) vs Arundhuti Maitra (TMC)
• Entally: Dr. Priyanka Tibrewal (BJP) vs Sandipan Saha (TMC)
• Noapara: Arjun Singh (BJP) vs Trinankur Bhattacharjee (TMC)
• Jagatdal: Dr. Rajesh Kumar (BJP) vs Somenath Shyam Ichini (TMC)
• Panihati: Ratna Debnath (BJP) vs Tirthankar Ghosh (TMC)
• Hingalganj: Rekha Patra (BJP) vs Ananda Sarkar (TMC)
• Kolkata Port: Rakesh Singh (BJP) vs Firhad Hakim (TMC)
• Baruipur Paschim: Biswajit Paul (BJP) vs Biman Banerjee (TMC)
• Dum Dum: Arijit Bakshi (BJP) vs Bratyabrata Basu (TMC)
• Dum Dum Uttar: Sourav Sikdar (BJP) vs Chandrima Bhattacharya (TMC)
• Shyampukur: Purnima Chakraborty (BJP) vs Shashi Panja (TMC)
• Tollyganj: Papia Adhikary (BJP) vs Aroop Biswas (TMC)
• Howrah Madhya: Biplab Kumar Mandal (BJP) vs Arup Roy (TMC)
• Bidhannagar: Sharadwat Mukherjee (BJP) vs Sujit Bose (TMC)
• Sagar: Sumanta Mandal (BJP) vs Bankim Chandra Hazra (TMC)
• Beleghata: Partha Chaudhury (BJP) vs Kunal Kumar Ghosh (TMC)
• Sonarpur Uttar: Debasish Dhar (BJP) vs Firdousi Begam (TMC)

Political Stakes High For BJP And TMC

In the 2021 Assembly elections, the TMC had dominated these regions, winning around 123 of the 142 seats going to polls in the second phase. However, political analysts believe the 2026 battle is expected to be much tighter, with BJP attempting to make significant gains in Kolkata and South Bengal.

While the BJP is banking on anti-incumbency, women’s safety and governance issues, the TMC continues to rely on its strong organisational network and support base in minority-dominated and urban belts.

Congress and the Left parties are also contesting across several seats, though they are expected to play only a limited role in most constituencies.

District-wise, the highest number of seats in this phase are in North 24 Parganas with 33 seats, followed by South 24 Parganas with 31 seats. Hooghly has 18 seats, Nadia 17, East Bardhaman 16, Howrah 16 and Kolkata 11.

Phase 1 polling on April 23 recorded over 93 per cent voter turnout - among the highest in recent Bengal elections - and election officials expect another high turnout in the decisive second phase.

For the BJP, the challenge lies in breaching the TMC’s urban and suburban strongholds, while for Mamata Banerjee’s party, a dominant performance in Phase 2 is seen as critical to securing a fourth consecutive term in power.