Assembly elections 2026 highlights: Mamata, Abhishek to hold meeting with all TMC counting agents on May 2

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Saturday a plea filed by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) challenging a Calcutta High Court order that dismissed a petition against the Election Commission's (EC) directive to deploy central government and PSU employees for counting the votes polled in the West Bengal Assembly election.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamool's National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee will hold a virtual meeting with all counting agents of the party on Saturday, two days ahead of the counting of votes, a senior party leader said. The meeting scheduled for 4 pm will be attended by the counting agents from the 291 Assembly constituencies, where the ruling party fielded its candidates. The Anit Thapa-led Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha contested the remaining three seats in the Darjeeling hills.

A day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee spent hours at the EVM strongroom of her Bhabanipur constituency alleging possibilities of malpractices, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Agarwal on Friday asserted there is no scope for wrongdoing at the counting centres. Following tensions around two counting centres in Kolkata late on Thursday, police clamped prohibitory orders on gatherings outside all seven strongrooms in the city.

Daily commuters in Kolkata and adjoining areas continued to face severe hardship on Friday due to a shortage of buses, with a large number of vehicles still engaged in poll duty and unlikely to return before counting on May 4. Acknowledging the situation, Joint Council of Bus Syndicate secretary Tapan Banerjee said more than 90 per cent of around 3,600 private buses requisitioned for the West Bengal polls have yet to report for duty.

At least three incidents of alleged post-poll violence were reported from West Bengal's Murshidabad, Malda and North 24 Parganas districts, police said. In Murshidabad district, a CPI(M) polling agent, identified as Ruhul Amin, was allegedly attacked on Thursday night at Lochanpur within Islampur police station limits. Amin was assaulted at a tea stall by a group of local leaders allegedly led by a TMC regional functionary, PTI reported citing party sources. Family members alleged that he had stepped out of his house at night when the incident took place.

Amid the political turmoil in West Bengal ahead of counting on May 4, Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal on Friday said there is no scope for any wrongdoing at counting centres. His remarks came after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee spent several hours at the counting centre for her Bhabanipur constituency on Thursday night, raising concerns over possible malpractice.

Agarwal said strong rooms are under round the clock CCTV surveillance and dismissed the allegations as baseless.

Trinamool national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee will hold a virtual meeting on Saturday with all counting agents and key stakeholders, the party said. The meeting comes ahead of the West Bengal Assembly election results on May 4.

BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Friday said strict monitoring is in place at the strong room in Bhabanipur following Thursday night’s developments.

He claimed that Mamata Banerjee is being kept “under surveillance” to prevent any irregular activity and added that an election agent has been stationed at the site to ensure transparency and proper adherence to procedures.

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya hit out at Mamata Banerjee, saying she was making such statements as she was heading towards defeat on May 4.

He accused her of spreading false propaganda and rejected allegations of EVM or booth looting, asserting that such practices are not part of the BJP’s culture. Maurya instead alleged that these had been associated with the Trinamool Congress and expressed confidence that the BJP would form the government in West Bengal with a strong majority.

MDMK MP Vaiko, reacting to exit polls for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, said the predictions lack consistency, with different surveys suggesting different outcomes. He said the actual results should be awaited, while noting that Vijay’s TVK could emerge as a significant force and potentially spring surprises.

Speaking to ANI, Vaiko said some exit polls predict a DMK government, while others favour the AIADMK, and another suggests TVK could come to power. He emphasised that the varying projections highlight the uncertainty and that the final outcome will only be clear once results are declared.

Tension prevailed on polling day in the Ketugram Assembly constituency of Purba Bardhaman district after 6 live bombs were recovered near a booth. The explosives were found on Wednesday at a short distance from booth number 35 in Biruri village.

According to reports, the bombs were kept inside a nylon bag placed in an open area. Police said all 6 explosives appeared to be fresh. Heavy police deployment along with central forces has been made at the spot, and the entire area has been cordoned off.

Sources said the bomb disposal squad has been informed and will defuse the explosives. As a precaution, locals have been kept away from the site.

On the Kerala and West Bengal Assembly elections in 2026, MDMK founder Vaiko said the BJP is attempting to expand its presence, but added that it would find it very difficult to make inroads in Kerala, while the situation in West Bengal could be different.

He further said that there is a need to counter what he described as the BJP and Hindutva ideology, stressing that the focus should be on reaching out more effectively to the youth and student community, where he felt efforts have been lacking so far.

TMC leader Shashi Panja said that what the party flagged earlier were serious loopholes. She claimed that on camera number 17, some individuals were seen inside strong rooms that had been sealed by party agents.

She questioned why political parties were not informed if the strong room doors were opened, stating that all parties should be notified in such situations and asking why no political representatives were told.

West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee visited the EVM strong room in Bhabanipur, alleging possible malpractice. She spent nearly 4 hours at the counting centre for her constituency at Sakhawat Memorial School in south Kolkata.

The Calcutta High Court has dismissed a petition filed by the Trinamool Congress challenging the Election Commission’s decision to deploy central government and PSU employees during vote counting in the state. Upholding the Commission’s order, the court said central staff can be appointed as supervisors and assistants for the process. The dismissal of the plea clears the way for counting arrangements to proceed as planned.

West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal said the counting process will be “100% fair and orderly”, dismissing allegations of EVM tampering. He maintained that EVM strong rooms are safe and secure and said there is no basis for any controversy. His remarks came after the Trinamool Congress alleged collusion and irregular access to ballot boxes without the presence of party representatives.

West Bengal Election 2026 LIVE: BJP MP Nishikant Dubey launched a sharp attack on the Trinamool Congress over illegal infiltration, claiming that those supporting the party were now coming into the open.

In a post on X, Dubey shared a video purportedly showing a Bangladesh MP, alleging that if the BJP comes to power in West Bengal, it would take steps to stop illegal infiltration and curb the presence of Bangladeshi Muslims in the state.

On exit polls, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari questioned why BJP spokespersons defend the Election Commission when allegations are raised against it. He claimed that since coming to power, the BJP has been winning elections through dishonest means and alleged that democracy is under threat due to what he described as an alliance between the BJP and the Election Commission. He added that a clearer picture would emerge on May 4.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday expressed confidence of a favourable outcome in the Assembly elections, saying the results on May 4 would bring good news. Speaking at May Day celebrations at May Day Park in Chinthadripet, Chennai, he said his government was being run on the principle of “everything for everyone.”

Tamil Nadu Election LIVE 2026: TVK candidate N Marie Wilson said party chief Vijay, during a meeting on Thursday, directed candidates to reach counting centres early and remain firmly in place.

Speaking to the media, the R K Nagar candidate said Vijay instructed them to be present at the counting centres by 6 am, stay at the front, closely monitor the proceedings and not move an inch.

BJP leader Dilip Ghosh on Friday attacked Mamata Banerjee over her allegations of EVM tampering, saying that those facing defeat tend to complain. He dismissed the West Bengal Chief Minister’s claims, asserting that the political situation in the state had changed and that the Trinamool Congress was now on the back foot.

Responding to Mamata Banerjee’s statement, BJP leader Syed Shahnawaz Hussain said that those anticipating defeat often begin looking for excuses in advance. He claimed that Banerjee had already lost the election, pointing to exit polls predicting a setback for the TMC, and accused her of creating unnecessary drama through her visit to the strong room and the protest.

He alleged that she was preparing a narrative to justify a potential loss and said that just as the BJP had accepted defeat earlier, she should be ready to do the same. He added that there would be no scope for such actions after May 4.

West Bengal witnessed late night drama on Thursday amid Trinamool Congress concerns over alleged tampering of electronic voting machines, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee spending hours inside a strong room while her party staged a sit in protest.

With just 2 days left for counting in the high stakes Assembly elections, the Trinamool alleged that ballot boxes were opened without the presence of authorised party representatives soon after the second and final phase of polling concluded. Mamata Banerjee, along with her election agent, visited the counting centre for the Bhabanipur Assembly segment at Sakhawat Memorial School in Kolkata on Thursday evening, raising concerns over possible malpractice.

After spending nearly 4 hours inside the strong room, she came out around 12:07 am in a defiant tone and warned against any attempt to tamper with the counting process.