Birbhum: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee speaks during the inauguration of various development projects, in Birbhum. (PTI Photo) The second phase of vote to elect who will govern Bengal for the next five years has now got one extra unlikely parameter after the first phase’s stupendous voting percentage of more than 93%: how many voters will turn out at the polling booth. This has turned the vote in what should have been the Trinamool’s zone of comfort into a battle of arithmetic and nerves, with the party in office trying to cash in on an anti-SIR sentiment, the opposition BJP trying to cash in on an anti-incumbency sentiment and both parties trying to crystal-gaze into what an unprecedented voter turnout may mean.Majority of TMC cabinet ministers in fray Conventionally, a voter-turnout bump has meant a larger vote share for the anti-incumbent. But, when the voter-turnout bump enters a zone where it has never gone before (as what happened in the 152 seats that voted in the first phase and what may happen again today because of SIR fears), conventional calculations can go awry. Both parties’ poll managers seem to have understood this though their leaderships’ public broadcasts may have been more swag and brag. The seven districts going to vote today – Kolkata, North and South 24 Parganas, Nadia, Howrah, Hooghly and East Burdwan – have been Trinamool’s bastion, with some pockets of resistance concentrated in a few places in North and South 24 Parganas, Nadia and Hooghly. The BJP has enjoyed a degree of popularity with sections of voters: Matuas in Nadia and North 24 Parganas, the non-Bengali-speaking population in the industrial belt in North 24 Parganas and largely agrarian areas in some pockets of Hooghly. The ISF, likewise, is confined to a belt in the Bhangar-Canning belt on the southern fringes of Kolkata. But, largely, these seven districts have held the key to Nabanna for the Trinamool. In 2021, for instance, Trinamool won 123 of the 142 seats going to vote today (see graphic). But this time, after 15 years in office, Trinamool candidates and their flag-bearers have encountered some amount of resistance even in areas that have been voting for the party since it was the Left Front’s main opposition in Bengal (from 1997 to 2011). Trinamool foot soldiers have had to slog extra hard in several constituencies in Kolkata, from Jorasanko and Shyampukur in the north to Chowringhee in the middle to Rashbehari in the south. And assembly opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari’s entry in CM Mamata Banerjee’s lair has spiced up what should have been a Bhowanipore no-contest.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosBengal Phase 2 Polls: 142 Constituencies Vote Today, Over 3.21 Crore Voters to DecideChokepoints of Power: how India can ‘trump’ China on the seasSwati Maliwal’s Explosive Exit: Assault Allegations, ‘Betrayal’ Charges Rock AAP As She Joins BJPIndian Aviation Sector Warns Of Possible Shutdown Amid Soaring Fuel CostsUNGA Chief Hails India’s Global Role, Calls India’s Leadership Central To MultilateralismIndia To Receive Fourth Unit Of S-400 Missile Systems From Russia, To Be Deployed In RajasthanISRO-s Big Shift- Civilians To Join Gaganyaan Missions – India-s Space Programme Expands”Online Radicalisation Led To…” Maharashtra CM On ISIS-Inspired AttackIndia’s Defence Spending Hits $92 Bn, Becomes World’s 5th Largest Amid Global Military SurgeIs Rafale deal with France stuck? Will India’s demand for access scuttle fighter deal?123PhotostoriesFrom tasting success and popularity after playing Samar to being ousted overnight from Anupamaa: Paras Kalnawat on his journeyKate Middleton dips into Princess Diana’s 1995 Germany look with sapphire earrings from the royal jewellery archivesAhead of ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2,’ buzz around the threequel adds to fans’ anticipation – here’s what we knowWhy BTS K-pop star Jungkook’s basic bodyweight routine may be more effective than your gym plan5 longest train journeys in the world: Did you know India has one?5 simple brain exercises that can boost memory without apps or toolsDeepika Padukone’s maternity-style playbook starts with a denim-on-denim look, proving she doesn’t do boringStep inside cricketer Yashasvi Jaiswal’s ₹5.38 crore stylish Mumbai residence5 Bhagavad Gita parenting lessons every parent should teach their childIndoor plants that can keep your home cool during summer123Hot PicksAmit ShahMamata BanerjeeBengal Women VotersPM Rally GunfireAssembly Election 2026Bengal Oath CeremonyTrinamool CongressTop TrendingSaeed Sheikh AfridiTamil Nadu electionPM modiSalim DolaAssam HS 12th ResultManish SisodiaMumbai Watermelon Poisoning newsBengal PollsJack GrealishIPL Orange Cap
The second phase of vote to elect who will govern Bengal for the next five years has now got one extra unlikely parameter after the first phase’s stupendous voting percentage of more than 93%: how many voters will turn out at the polling booth. This has turned the vote in what should have been the Trinamool’s zone of comfort into a battle of arithmetic and nerves, with the party in office trying to cash in on an anti-SIR sentiment, the opposition BJP trying to cash in on an anti-incumbency sentiment and both parties trying to crystal-gaze into what an unprecedented voter turnout may mean.
Majority of TMC cabinet ministers in fray
Conventionally, a voter-turnout bump has meant a larger vote share for the anti-incumbent. But, when the voter-turnout bump enters a zone where it has never gone before (as what happened in the 152 seats that voted in the first phase and what may happen again today because of SIR fears), conventional calculations can go awry. Both parties’ poll managers seem to have understood this though their leaderships’ public broadcasts may have been more swag and brag. The seven districts going to vote today – Kolkata, North and South 24 Parganas, Nadia, Howrah, Hooghly and East Burdwan – have been Trinamool’s bastion, with some pockets of resistance concentrated in a few places in North and South 24 Parganas, Nadia and Hooghly. The BJP has enjoyed a degree of popularity with sections of voters: Matuas in Nadia and North 24 Parganas, the non-Bengali-speaking population in the industrial belt in North 24 Parganas and largely agrarian areas in some pockets of Hooghly. The ISF, likewise, is confined to a belt in the Bhangar-Canning belt on the southern fringes of Kolkata. But, largely, these seven districts have held the key to Nabanna for the Trinamool. In 2021, for instance, Trinamool won 123 of the 142 seats going to vote today (see graphic). But this time, after 15 years in office, Trinamool candidates and their flag-bearers have encountered some amount of resistance even in areas that have been voting for the party since it was the Left Front’s main opposition in Bengal (from 1997 to 2011). Trinamool foot soldiers have had to slog extra hard in several constituencies in Kolkata, from Jorasanko and Shyampukur in the north to Chowringhee in the middle to Rashbehari in the south. And assembly opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari’s entry in CM Mamata Banerjee’s lair has spiced up what should have been a Bhowanipore no-contest.
