FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 12 ` 5.00 | | KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | MUMBAI | BHUBANESWAR | LUCKNOW | SILIGURI Page 6 Troubling Asymmetry Page 9 91.66%* 85.2% Overall voting in 2021 92.47%* 2021 2026 93.19% Ph-2 2026 Phase 1, Phase 2 Overall voting in 2026 *Provisional Mamata Banerjee CM, (TMC) Page 12 LAW PAGE West Bengal Votes: High Turnout in Phases I & II Ph-1 Goals galore as PSG beat Bayern Munich 5-4 in record-setting UCL semifinal 1st leg Page 11 Diplomacy abandoned Starmer averts ethics probe over Mandelson appointment but faces more pressure Polling for the two phases in West Bengal has ended with strong turnout. As Mamata Banerjee and Suvendu Adhikari face off, past trends offer clues to what lies ahead. Thursday, 30 April 2026 SPORTS WORLD EDITORIAL | West Bengal records historic 92 per cent plus voter turnout STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE 77 cases of EVM tampering reported: Kolkata/New Delhi, 29 April W est Bengal on We d n e s d ay recorded its h i g h e s t- ever voter participation since Independence, with polling in the second and final phase of the Assembly elections closing at an impressive 91.66 per cent as of 7.45 p.m. This took the combined turnout across both phases to a record 92.47 per cent, according to the Election Commission of India. Polling for the second phase, covering 142 constituencies across eight districts, began at 7 a.m. and witnessed brisk participation throughout the day, reflecting strong voter enthusiasm in one of the most closely watched electoral contests in recent years. The turnout in the first phase had already set a high benchmark at 93.19 per cent, and the cumulative figure has now surpassed the previous record of 84.72 per cent registered in the 2011 Assembly elections. The gender-wise turnout figures reflected a notable trend of strong participation by women voters, who recorded a turnout of 92.28 per cent, surpassing male participation at 91.07 per cent. The turnout among third-gender voters stood at 91.28 per cent, taking the overall figure to 91.66 per cent for the second phase. Officials clarified that the data remains provisional and does not yet include service voters and postal ballots. The scale of the electoral exercise was significant, with over 6.81 crore voters eligible across both phases, spread across 294 constituencies in 24 districts. A total of 2,926 candidates were in the fray, Kolkata: The Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal, Manoj Kumar Agarwal, on Wednesday said 77 cases of tampering of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were reported in the second phase of the Bengal Assembly elections. In a post on social media platform X, the CEO said repolling is likely to take place before 2 May. “Wherever there are instances of tampering with the machine, be it by using tapes or otherwise, we will have repolls. We have announced from day 1 that we want to have fair and free elections in Bengal. We will study the complaints and announce the repolls on Thursday,” Mr Agarwal told mediapersons earlier in the day. Instances of EVM tampering have been alleged by the BJP at Panihati on the fringes of Kolkata and Falta, among other places. with polling conducted at more than 85,000 stations and managed by over 4.26 lakh polling personnel. More than 3.35 lakh polling agents were deployed by political parties to oversee the process. The record-breaking turnout comes against the backdrop of an intensely fought election marked by high-pitched campaigning and strong political mobilisation across the state. With counting scheduled for 4 May, the unprecedented voter participation is expected to play a crucial role in determining the outcome of what is widely seen as a high-stakes electoral battle. Suvendu Adhikari LoP, (BJP) Phase 1 Exit polls show uneven picture for Bengal, clear mandates elsewhere Phase 2 2021: Seat share TMC 2021: Seat share TMC 92 BJP 123 STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE New Delhi, 29 April 18 BJP 59 152 294 142 294 Other: 1 Other: 1 Phase 1 (2021) was challenging for TMC, with BJP performing well Phase 2 (2021) shows TMC’s strong regional dominance WEST BENGAL 2021: OVERALL ELECTION RESULTS Seat share Vote share TMC BJP 215 3% 5.3% 5.7% 77 38% 294 Other: 2 48%      TMC BJP CPI (M) INC Others Party performance shift 5.3% 5.7% 12.3% 38% 25.8% 10.2% 44.9% 48% 2016 2021 Results for all five Assembly elections — West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry — will be declared on 4 May, with regional parties TMC and DMK facing particularly high stakes. Exit polls for the high-stakes Assembly elections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry on Wednesday painted a politically uneven picture, with Bengal emerging as the most fiercely contested and unpredictable battleground, even as clearer and more consistent mandates appeared to take shape in the other four states. In Bengal (294 seats), the marquee face-off between the Trinamul Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has produced strikingly divergent projections across agencies, underscoring both the intensity of the campaign and the deep polarisation among voters. Further complicating the picture, P-MARQ (P Matrize) gave an edge to the BJP with 146–161 seats, while projecting the TMC at 120–140. JVC also suggested a BJP advantage, BENGAL ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS EXIT POLLS TMC BJP P-MARQ (P Matrize) 120–140 146–161 JVC 131–152 138–159 Poll Diary 99–127 142–171 forecasting 138–159 seats for the party and 131–152 for the TMC. Poll Diary placed the BJP in a strong position with 142–171 seats, while the TMC was seen trailing at 99–127. This unusually wide spread ~from a clear TMC majority to a possible BJP victory ~ makes Bengal the most volatile and closely watched contest of this election cycle, echoing past elections where exit polls have struggled to accurately capture the final verdict. Outside Bengal, however, the exit poll picture appears far more settled and consistent. In Tamil Nadu (234 seats), there is near-unanimity across agencies pointing to a decisive victory for the DMK-led alliance, with projections consistently placing it in the 150–180 seat range, comfortably ahead of the AIADMK-led alliance at 50–80 seats. In Kerala (140 seats), the contest appears to be tilting towards a political shift, with fresh projections suggesting the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) could return to power after a decade. The Axis My India exit poll estimates the UDF at 78–90 seats, well above the majority mark of 71, while the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) is projected at 49–62 seats. The BJP-led NDA is expected to remain marginal, with 0–3 seats. In Assam (126 seats), projections are significantly more aligned, pointing to a clear return of the BJP-led NDA. Axis My India has projected the NDA at 88–100 seats and the Congress-led alliance at 24–36, while other agencies broadly place the NDA in the 75–100 seat range against 25–50 for the Opposition. In Puducherry (30 seats), exit polls suggest a fragmented but NDA-leaning outcome, with most projections giving the alliance 16–22 seats, compared to 8–14 for the CongressDMK bloc. Smaller players and independents are expected to remain marginal but could still play a role in a closely contested Assembly. Taken together, the exit polls point to a multi-layered national verdict shaped by strong regional dynamics ~ with the TMC holding ground but under pressure in Bengal, the DMK firmly in command in Tamil Nadu, Kerala poised for a potential UDF comeback, and the BJP-led NDA consolidating its position in Assam while maintaining an advantage in Puducherry. Yet, it is Bengal that stands apart, with sharply conflicting projections making it the epicentre of uncertainty and the defining story of these elections. With counting scheduled on 4 May, these exit polls remain an early snapshot—and if past trends are any indication, the final verdict, particularly in Bengal, could still defy even the most confident projections. PM Modi predicts BJP ‘hat-trick’ in five-state We’re coming back with two-third majority, says CM polls, targets Congress and SP in Hardoi rally Mamata, alleges high-handedness by Central forces STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Hardoi, 29 April Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday claimed that the BJP is set to score a “hat-trick” of victories in the upcoming five-state polls, while accusing the Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP) of being “anti-development” and “anti-women.” He made these remarks after inaugurating the 594-kmlong Ganga Expressway here. The Prime Minister said that the BJP-NDA had recently secured a landslide victory in Bihar, creating history. “Just yesterday, the results of local body elections in Gujarat ~ covering municipal corporations, municipalities, district panchayats, town councils and tehsil panchayats ~ were announced. The BJP won 80 to 85 per cent of municipalities and panchayats. I am confident that the BJP is going to score a hat-trick of historic victories in these five states as well. The results of 4 May will strengthen the resolve for a developed India and inject new energy into the country’s development,” he said. Mr Modi also claimed that voting in West Bengal is taking place in a “fearless environment,” unlike in the past. “People are voting without fear. This reflects the strength of the Constitution and India’s democracy. I express my gratitude to the people of Bengal for being conscious of their rights and voting in large numbers,” he said. He added that the second phase of polling in the state was witnessing a strong turnout, with long queues of voters being seen across polling stations. Referring to the issue of women’s reservation in Parliament and state lwgislatures, the Prime Minister alleged that the Congress and SP had once again displayed their “anti-women” stance. “The NDA government introduced the Nari Shakti Vandan Amendment. If it had passed, women would have received reservation in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections from 2029. A large number of women would have been elected to Lucknow and Delhi without affecting other categories. However, the Samajwadi Party opposed the amendment,” he said. Mr Modi further accused the SP of being driven by nepotism and casteism. “They can never rise above such politics and will continue to oppose development. Uttar Pradesh must remain cautious of the Samajwadi Party and its allies,” he added. Highlighting global challenges, the Prime Minister said that while the world is grappling with war, unrest and instability, India continues to progress steadily. “Some forces are trying to defame the country due to their hunger for power, but India is not only secure, it is also setting new development records. We are moving forward with the vision of a self-reliant India and building world-class infrastructure. Kolkata, 29 April Trinamul Congress will return with a two-thirds majority in the ongoing Assembly election, party chairperson Mamata Banerjee said this afternoon after casting her vote. Miss Banerjee exercised her franchise at Mitra Institution in Bhowanipore. In the second phase of polling today, around 90 per cent of voters turned out, compared to 92 per cent in the first phase held on 23 April. Elections were conducted across 142 constituencies. Miss Banerjee said: “From the information we have received, it is certain that we are coming back with a twothirds majority for the fourth consecutive time.” She alleged high-handedness by paramilitary forces, claiming that some personnel had visited the residence of Firhad Hakim. “The youth Trinamul Congress leader in Chetla was arrested and I had gone to Firhad Hakim’s house. CRPF personnel also visited the home of Trinamul councillor of Ward 70, Asim Basu, last night. Asim is a popular leader. He was not present at his residence. The CRPF personnel took away his wife’s cell phone and asked her to tell Asim not to work today. I am shocked at their audacity,” she said. “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 added. Abhishek Banerjee, after casting his vote, said: “The party’s poll percentage will rise along with the number of seats. We will secure more seats than we did in 2021.” He added: “The Election Commission of India has deployed everything except Rafale aircraft and INS warships. But despite that, the BJP will fall flat. On 4 May, when the results are declared, they will not be seen anywhere.” Abhishek Banerjee further alleged that voters in Bali (Howrah) and Tarakeshwar (Hooghly) were lathicharged. “Instead of reassuring voters, the ECI has terrorised them. We have assured the people who visited polling stations that they can cast their votes fearlessly,” he said.