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Voting for the second and final phase of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections is underway on Wednesday. Once polling concludes, exit poll results will begin to emerge after 6:30 pm, offering an early indication of which party may form the government in West Bengal, Kerala, Assam, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry.

With the end of this phase, the electoral process across four states and one Union Territory will be complete, and the fate of all candidates will be sealed in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). In West Bengal, the final phase is considered crucial as it marks the conclusion of the entire election. Voting is being held across 142 seats in this phase, with intense political activity reported across districts. A fierce contest is underway between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with both sides making last-minute appeals to voters.

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Across the country, attention is now firmly on exit polls. As per Election Commission guidelines, these projections cannot be released before 6:30 pm on April 29. Earlier, the first phase in West Bengal recorded a high voter turnout of 93.2%. Tamil Nadu saw 85.1% voting, while Assam recorded 85.5% turnout across all 126 seats. Kerala witnessed turnout between 75% and 78% across 140 seats, and Puducherry reported a record 89.87% voting.

The official counting of votes will take place on May 4, when the final results will be declared.

What Are Exit Polls?

Exit polls are post-voting surveys conducted as voters leave polling booths. They are asked about their voting choices to gauge public sentiment. Survey agencies and media organisations collect and analyse this data to estimate how parties may perform, providing a preview of possible election outcomes before official results are announced.

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