West Bengal Election 2026: BJP's Suvendu Adhikari shares pleasantries, drinks cold drink offered by TMC workers | Watch

West Bengal election 2026: Suvendu Adhikari, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from the Nandigram and Bhabanipur constituencies, exchanged pleasantries and drank a cold drink offered by Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers. He reportedly also stopped by the TMC camp office.

The 40-second video shows Adhikari surrounded by security personnel and media persons as he conversed with TMC workers.

“She (a woman TMC worker) called me and gave me water. It is very hot here, and I drank it," Adhikari stated, according to PTI.

Earlier, Adhikari had alleged that he was surrounded by TMC supporters and an attempt was made to attack him during his visit to a polling booth in West Bengal amid the 2026 Assembly elections. The incident reportedly occurred when he arrived to inspect a polling station, after which a group of TMC supporters raised “Jai Bangla” slogans and allegedly surrounded him.

West Bengal election phase 2 voting

The final phase of voting in the high-stakes West Bengal Assembly elections ended at 6 PM on Wednesday, with voter turnout reaching an impressive 90 per cent before polling closed.

By 5 PM, Purba Bardhaman district remained at the top with a massive turnout of 92.46 per cent, followed by Hooghly at 90.34 per cent, Nadia at 90.28 per cent, Howrah at 89.44 per cent, and North 24 Parganas. South 24 Parganas also recorded strong participation, with turnout figures of 89.74 per cent and 89.57 per cent respectively.

The strong polling numbers reflected a significant surge in voter participation across the state as elections for the 294-member Legislative Assembly came to an end, with vote counting scheduled for 4 May.

The key battle in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections is between the ruling Trinamool Congress, which is aiming to retain power for a fourth straight term, and the BJP, which is seeking a major breakthrough and a historic win in the state.

The second phase of polling saw several prominent political leaders casting their votes, including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Leader of Opposition Adhikari, TMC General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, BJP candidate and the mother of the RG Kar Medical College rape and murder victim Ratna Debnath, TMC MP Mitali Bag, and West Bengal BJP President Samik Bhattacharya, among others.

Alongside the large voter turnout, the second phase of polling was also marked by alleged incidents of violence, with rival parties accusing each other of intimidation and abuse.

The second phase of polling covered 142 of West Bengal’s 294 Assembly seats. Around 3.21 crore voters were eligible to cast their ballots, including 1,64,35,627 men, 1,57,37,418 women, and 792 transgender voters. A total of 1,448 candidates, including 220 women, contested across 41,001 polling stations, with more than 8,000 of them managed entirely by women.

The final phase of voting is being viewed as a crucial test for the TMC, as the election battle shifts to its strongholds in South Bengal and Kolkata.

Although 142 seats are in contention, the spotlight remains on the ‘Big Five’ urban constituencies. Along with the high-profile Bhabanipur seat, Tollyganj, known as the centre of the Bengali film industry, has emerged as a major star-studded contest.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, the Trinamool Congress dominated this region by winning 123 of the 142 seats. For the BJP, this phase is crucial to gain support among the urban “bhadralok” voters and the Matua community, while for the TMC, the focus is on maintaining its stronghold and securing a fourth consecutive term for Mamata Banerjee.

Both political parties are viewing the high voter turnout as a positive sign for their prospects. The first phase recorded an impressive turnout of 91.78 per cent. While the TMC claimed it would win at least 100 of the 152 seats that voted in the first phase, the BJP expressed confidence that it would secure victory in 110 seats.

The first phase of polling took place on 23 April, and the main contest in West Bengal continues to be seen as a direct battle between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP.

(With inputs from ANI)