The second and final phase of the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026 is set to wrap up on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. With this, the fate of candidates across four states and one Union Territory will be sealed inside EVMs. This last phase in West Bengal carries significant weight, as it marks the end of the entire election process. A total of 142 seats are going to the polls in this round.
The political atmosphere across the state has been charged, with activity running high in every district. The ruling Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party are locked in a fierce contest, and both parties have been making last-minute appeals to voters to turn out in large numbers.
All eyes across the country are now on the exit polls. Under Election Commission rules, exit poll results cannot be released before 6:30 PM on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. In the first phase, West Bengal recorded a remarkable voter turnout of 93.2 percent, according to Election Commission data. Tamil Nadu saw 85.1 percent turnout, while Assam completed polling across all 126 seats with 85.5 percent participation.
Kerala recorded turnout of between 75 and 78 percent across 140 seats. Puducherry saw 89.87 percent voting, the highest ever recorded in the Union Territory. Votes across all these states and the Union Territory will be counted on May 4, when the final results will be declared.
What Is an Exit Poll?
Simply put, an exit poll is a survey. After casting their votes, people are approached outside polling booths and asked who they voted for. The idea is to gauge public sentiment and arrive at an estimate before the official results are announced.
Various survey agencies and media organisations deploy their teams at select polling stations for this purpose. As voters step out, they are asked a set of questions. The responses are then collected and analysed to project how many votes each party is likely to receive and how many seats they could win.