Assembly Elections 2026: Police deployed outside strong room in Kolkata amid allegations of EVM tampering

BJP workers block the movement of a TMC vehicle in Bhabanipur assembly constituency. One of them said, "There is something in the vehicle. Mamata Banerjee has brought something in her vehicle. The vehicle will not be allowed to move."

 Police deployed outside the strong room in Kolkata. Counting of votes to be held on 4th May.

Security has been deployed at Sakhawat Memorial School in South Kolkata, the counting centre for the Bhabanipur assembly segment. Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee is present at the site.

BJP candidate from Maniktala constituency, Tapas Roy into a verbal altercation with the police.

TMC candidate from Canning West constituency in South 24 Parganas district, Paresh Ram Das, came to inspect the strong room.

TMC candidate from the Kamarhati Assembly constituency, Madan Mitra, said, "This is the conspiracy of the BJP to show the public that the voting is taking place peacefully, but then they will repeat the drama that happened in Nandigram in the previous elections."

High drama outside strongroom as TMC alleges BJP opened sealed ballots, party leader Kunal Ghosh says, "their theft was caught."

TMC leaders Shashi Panja and Kunal Ghosh sit on a dharna in front of the strong room, outside Netaji Indoor Stadium. They alleged that attempts are being made by BJP and ECI officials to open ballot boxes without the presence of relevant party representatives.

On exit polls for Kerala state elections 2026, Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said, "We are expecting a good result on the 4th of May. During the time of the election itself, we knew that the UDF was going to win with a good majority. The people of Kerala want a change of guard, a change of government."

On Exit Polls, TVK's General Secretary of Campaign Management, Aadhav Arjuna said, "...This election, nobody can predict. Even India Today Axis underestimated our numbers and percentage. I already said 2-3 months ago, nobody can predict this election. No psephologist can predict, no survey can predict because after 50 years, people want a change...TVK, the combination of women and youth is going to change Tamil Nadu Election results. You can definitely see the result that day...After 50 years, it is going to be a historical verdict in Tamil Nadu."

EVMs and VVPATs have been secured in the strong room after Phase 2 of the 2026 West Bengal Legislative Assembly elections, with security tightened. 

On exit polls, Congress MP Rajeev Shukla said, "We should wait for May 4th. Exit polls have been inaccurate in the past as well. There has been a big change. Exit polls were different and the reality was different... We should wait for the 4th. We should not make any political speculations. I had already expected that Congress would win in Kerala."

CM Mamata Banerjee said, "We are very grateful to the people of Bengal. Despite the scorching heat and atrocities, you have cast vote. I am also very grateful to TMC workers that they fought with their lives, endured the collective oppression of all the machineries of the government of India – Prime Minister, Home Minister, and BJP leaders of 19 states who tried to suppress Bengal with loads of money, power, and firearms. But in the ballot, they themselves have been suppressed. I want to assure you, the exit polls are paid and forced and as per a circular from BJP’s office to media. We are going to cross 226 seats in 2026. I have full faith in the voters."

Exit poll predictions aired at BJP's instruction to demoralise TMC workers, said CM Mamata Banerjee a day after Bengal polls end.

We will return to power by winning more than 226 of 294 assembly seats in Bengal, said CM Mamata Banerjee in a video message.

Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal on exit polls said, "The BJP will win in all states. I have spoken to many people in Bengal, including journalists and those on the ground, and everyone says the BJP is winning there. One reason is the alleged hooliganism and corruption by the TMC. Also, due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s work, the BJP is set to win in Bengal."

Security was tightened in the strong rooms after the second phase of the elections concluded. The counting is scheduled to take place on May 4.

The latest exit poll projections for the Kerala Assembly elections 2026 suggest a modest shift in the BJP-led NDA’s position in the state. While the alliance remains a distant third in a largely bipolar contest, there are early signs of incremental gains in both vote share and seats. Click here to read more.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) remains confident of retaining power in Assam and in Puducherry, and also of rewriting history in West Bengal. In Tamil Nadu, he said the NDA will register a big win.

"There is a huge anti-incumbency against the incumbent government, due to their misgovernance, appeasement politics, corruption. They are reposing their faith in the leadership of PM Modi and state BJP, and BJP’s policies," he told reporters.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday backed the exit poll projections in West Bengal and said there is a notable anger among the people against the Trinamool Congress (TMC). Speaking to reporters in Dehradun, he said there is no doubt that a double-engine government will be formed in West Bengal this time.

"The exit polls are fine, but when I went there, I saw anger among the people against the TMC government, saw the wave of change, saw public outrage," he said.

Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC has backed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to win the assembly elections in West Bengal and Assam, day after the exit polls predicted a victory for the saffron party in these two states. She even said that there will be a shocker in Tamil Nadu, where exit polls predicted a DMK+'s victory.

"The exit polls project a precedent victory of the NDA, and rightly so if you look at Assam, there’s been a strong hold of the NDA, the BJP almost crossing 100+, which shows that the good governance done by Himanta Biswa Sarma is known to one and all…If you look at West Bengal, the way that second phase happened…90-92% of voters came out to vote – What does that suggest? That suggests that out of the 294 seats in West Bengal, a majority of 148 is expected, and the NDA has already surpassed it," she told ANI.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Assam, headed by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, may sweep the assembly elections by securing more than a two-thirds majority, predicted Matrize Exit Poll projections. The BJP-led alliance may win 85-95 seats in a House of 126 members, with the Congress-led alliance projected to win 25-32 seats. Others, including independents and the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), may win six to twelve seats. Click here to read more.

Day after most of the exit polls gave an edge to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge slammed the saffron party and accused it of using force and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in suppressing the people to win the assembly elections.

"According to the West Bengal exit poll, there is a neck-to-neck fight. One piece of our information is that there is a lead for TMC. Secondly, the BJP and their other alliance NDA partners are doing a bit of oppression, threatening, and by deploying CRPF against the people, they are trying to give a tough challenge to Mamata’s TMC," he told reporters in Karnataka's Kalaburagi.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said on Thursday that the grand old party remains positive about its outcomes in the assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and the union territory (UT) of Puducherry. He said though exit polls are not in favour of Congress in Assam and Puducherry, the party is confident that the actual results will be different.

"Now, some results are showing clearly in some places. Some results have created a bit of confusion. But, to the extent I feel, I have a hope that a clear majority for DMK might come in Tamil Nadu; I have spoken about it there as well. Similarly, in Kerala, our people have already told me that UDF will come with a majority. In Assam, the exit poll is saying that our expected seats are not coming. But I have confidence that we might get more than the figures they are showing. In Puducherry, we have also fought an equal battle against the BJP and the NR party. We have expectations there too, but more or less, there is a tough fight there; let us wait and see for another two days," he told reporters in Kalaburagi, Karnataka.

When asked whether Congress will support the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in case of a hung assembly in West Bengal, party president Mallikarjun Kharge has said that a decision regarding this will be taken as per the situation.

"We will see; it doesn't look good to say it now, let's wait two days for a clear picture," he told reporters in Kalaburagi.

CPI(M) leader V Srinivasa Rao said on Thursday that he is confident that the Left Democratic Front (LDF) will return to power in Kerala for a third consecutive term. Though he noted that exit poll projections have given an edge to the UDF, he said one needs to wait for the final result on May 4.

"People are the ultimate judges, and we will have to respect their judgement… In Bengal, we might win some seats. In Tamil Nadu, the exit polls clearly show DMK will win, and in Assam, the BJP will win. But these are only the exit polls, we have to wait till May 4 for the actual results,” he told ANI.

Congress leader K Muraleedharan said on Thursday that he is confident of the United Democratic Front's return to power in Kerala, which has also been predicted by the exit polls. He pointed out that all exit polls are predicting a victory of the UDF.

"This assessment appears correct. In our own estimation, we will secure a minimum of 82 seats, and it may even go up to 90 or 100," he said.

The second and final phase of polling for the West Bengal Assembly elections concluded on Wednesday, paving the way for a wave of exit poll assessments. As soon as voting ended, multiple agencies released their projections and most of them have indicated a strong advantage for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The projections suggest a significant setback for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the ruling Trinamool Congress. While four major pollsters predicted a BJP-led victory, one agency stood apart with a completely different outlook. Click here to read more.

RJD leader Manoj Jha said on Thursday that he does not consider the exit polls "credible", likening it to betting in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and other sports. He said exit polls have gone wrong time and again.

"To date, no one conducting exit polls has been able to present a convincing argument regarding their methodology. So, all of us should wait for the 4th of May, when the actual results will be declared and the relevance of exit polls will become clear," he told PTI.

Day after exit polls predicted a BJP victory in West Bengal, Congress leader Tariq Anwar said that he does not have faith in the post-poll surveys as they have often gone wrong. He also said the Centre has deployed all its might in West Bengal to win the elections.

"Be it the ED, the CBI, paramilitary forces, or even the Election Commission, which is fully aligned with them. Despite all this, it cannot be predicted with certainty that there will be a change in power or that BJP will win there," he told PTI. 

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin may retain power, with his DMK-led alliance projected to win a clear majority in the recently held assembly elections, says the Matrize Exit Poll projection telecast by India TV this evening. The exit poll says the DMK-led alliance may win 122-132 seats in a House of 234 members, with the AIADMK-led alliance projected to win 87 to 100 seats. Actor Joseph Vijay's TVK may win 10-12 seats, while others including independents, may win 0-6 seats. Click here to read more.

According to exit poll projections, TVK is expected to secure around 17.5% vote share and win 10-12 seats, marking a notable debut. Its presence is likely to dent the vote share of both major alliances and influence outcomes across several constituencies in Tamil Nadu. Click here to read more.

AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami’s family members visited the Thiruchendur Murugan Temple earlier in the day. The AIADMK, as per exit poll projections, is unlikely to return to power in Tamil Nadu, and the DMK+ may win the 2026 assembly elections.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may come to power for the first time in West Bengal with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC) trailing close behind, says a Matrize Exit Poll projection, which was telecast on India TV this evening. The exit poll projection says the BJP may win 146 to 161 seats in a House of 294 members. The magic mark for scoring a majority is 148. Click here to read more.

TMC leader V Sivadasan Dasu has said that Mamata Banerjee's party will return to power in West Bengal, with over 200 wins, while he questioned the exit poll projections which claimed a BJP victory. He said the exit polls have historically failed to capture TMC's actual performance in West Bengal.

"Exit polls' calculations never match the reality in West Bengal. And as for the exit polls shown so far regarding the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal... In 2021, ABP News showed 152 for TMC, Chanakya showed 169, TV9 showed 142, and India Today showed 130. Various other channels also didn't show a majority for Trinamool Congress in '21," he said.

Uttar Pradesh Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar, whose Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) is a part of the NDA, has said that the BJP-led bloc will come to power in West Bengal once the election results are declared on May 4.

The exit poll results on Wednesday predicted a clear victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal and Assam while giving a clear majority for the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala in a tough fight with the Left Democratic Front (LDF). The exit polls also predicted a massive victory for the MK Stalin-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu, according to Matrize. Click here to read more.

BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal said on Thursday that the saffron party is gaining an advantage in West Bengal and Puducherry. He also said that the BJP will form the government in Assam once again, while it will make significant breakthrough in Kerala. 

"Overall, if we analyse these trends, it can be clearly said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP has performed remarkably well in all five states. This also indicates that the people of the country have unwavering trust and confidence in his leadership," he said.

BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said that democracy has emerged stronger in the recent elections, claiming that polling was largely peaceful compared to earlier years in West Bengal. He said that in previous elections in West Bengal, violence was more common, but this time incidents were “negligible” and voting was conducted smoothly in most places.

BJP leader Ram Kripal Yadav said on Thursday that a change in West Bengal is certain, while predicting an NDA win in Assam. He said the BJP will form the government in West Bengal with a two-thirds majority, adding that people's mandate will be respected.

Likewise, the NDA comprising the AINRC and the BJP will return to power for a second straight term, while the Congress-led alliance will continue to stay out of the power, as per exit poll projections.  

According to the exit poll projections, the BJP-led NDA will return to power in Assam for a third straight term with a bigger mandate. The Congress-led alliance's tally may get further reduced. 

If the exit polls are to be believed, then Tamil Nadu will likely be retained by the DMK+ alliance comfortably. However, the AIADMK+ may improve its tally, while the TVK may play a spoilsport.

West Bengal saw an extensive campaign by the BJP which is looking to end TMC-s 15-year rule in the state. As per several exit polls, the BJP is likely to form a government in Bengal for the first time in this year's exit polls. However, many have still given an edge to the TMC.

In West Bengal, exit polls have given a fractured mandate, with some giving edge to the BJP, while some to the TMC. In Assam, however, the exit polls predicted an NDA win with a bigger mandate. Tamil Nadu and Kerala are likely to go with the DMK+ and the UDF, while Puducherry may be retained by the NDA, exit polls predicted.