Wednesday, April 29, 2026 marks the end of West Bengal’s two-phase assembly election, with the second and final round of voting concluding today. Once polling wraps up, the fate of candidates across four states and one Union Territory will be locked inside EVMs.
This last phase is particularly significant — it covers 142 seats and brings the entire election cycle to a close. Political temperatures have run high across the state’s districts, with both the ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP locked in a fierce contest right down to the wire. Both parties have been making last-minute appeals to voters, pushing hard for every ballot they can get.
All eyes are now on the exit polls. Under Election Commission rules, results cannot be published before 6:30 PM on Wednesday, April 29. The numbers, when they drop, will offer the first real clue about which way the public has swung.
Voter turnout in the first phase of West Bengal was a striking 93.2 percent — a record figure. Tamil Nadu recorded 85.1 percent turnout, while Assam, where all 126 seats went to polls, saw 85.5 percent. Kerala’s 140 constituencies recorded turnout somewhere between 75 and 78 percent. Puducherry posted 89.87 percent — the highest ever in the Union Territory.
Votes across all these states and Puducherry will be counted on May 4, when the final results will be declared.
What exactly is an exit poll?
An exit poll is essentially a survey conducted just outside polling booths. As voters leave after casting their ballots, survey teams from various agencies and media organisations ask them who they voted for. The responses are then compiled and analysed to estimate which party is likely to win how many seats — giving a snapshot of public sentiment before the official count begins.