Banerjee, who is contesting from her home constituency Bhabanipur, camped outside a polling booth in the morning, alleging intimidation by central forces and an attempt to influence the electoral process.

In a strong counter, BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari accused her of attempting to intimidate voters.

“Mamata Banerjee is visiting polling booths accompanied by a large number of alleged goons to intimidate Hindu voters. She should remember that she is welcome at polling booths as a candidate, not as the Chief Minister,” Adhikari said.

What Mamata Banerjee said

“The ECI is openly harassing and tormenting us. We have sent a contempt of court notice, yet countless outside observers have been brought in here. They are clearly dancing to the tunes of the BJP,” Banerjee said.

“Go to Chakraberia and you will see that all our posters have been removed. Is this the way elections are meant to be conducted? It is not the police and the security forces, but the people who will cast their vote.”

“They have brought in people from outside, and these individuals are spreading fear and terror among voters. They will leave soon.”

Phase 2 polling underway

Voting is underway in the second and final phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections, covering 142 constituencies across seven key districts.

The spotlight is on Bhabanipur, where Banerjee faces a high-stakes contest against Adhikari.

Key districts in this phase include North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas (64 seats combined), along with Hooghly (18), Nadia (17), Howrah (16), East Burdwan (16), and Kolkata (11).

Polling began early amid tight security, with central forces deployed across sensitive areas to ensure smooth voting.