Voting began on Saturday (May 2, 2026) at 15 booths in two Assembly constituencies in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district, where the Election Commission ordered repolls a day ago, following reports of electoral malpractices, an official said.

The repolls were ordered in 11 polling stations of Magrahat Paschim Assembly constituency and four in Diamond Harbour. Voting began at 7 a.m. and will continue till 6 p.m., the official said.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday (April 26, 2026) announced a stringent security plan for the second phase of the West Bengal Assembly polls, making it clear that any attempt to disrupt voting or obstruct electors would be dealt with firmly, an official said.

The ECI directed security personnel to carry out constituency-wise deployment and step up area domination exercises in interior lanes and sensitive neighbourhoods to ensure that voters can exercise their franchise without fear.

The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) on Sunday (April 26, 2026) took suo motu cognisance of a video clip allegedly showing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee using “derogatory” language against the SC community during an election rally.

The NCSC has written to the Chief Secretary of West Bengal and the Director General of Police, directing them to submit a detailed report within three days of the receipt of the notice.