Asansol: Violence broke out at a vote counting centre in West Bengal’s Asansol on Monday, prompting police to resort to a lathi-charge as counting for the 2026 Assembly elections continued across the state.
The incident occurred at the Asansol Engineering College counting centre, where a dispute between polling agents escalated into clashes. Eyewitnesses reported vandalism of chairs and vehicles during the unrest, forcing security personnel to intervene and disperse the crowd.
Asansol Durgapur Police Commissionerate Commissioner Pranav Kumar said a political party camp was targeted during the violence. He added that efforts are underway to identify those involved in the vandalism.
The clashes come amid high-stakes counting that has shown early trends favouring the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). According to the Election Commission, the BJP was leading in 156 seats, while the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) was ahead in 86 constituencies. Its ally BGPM was leading in one seat.
If the trends continue, the BJP could form its first government in West Bengal, marking a significant political shift in a state long dominated by the TMC and previously by the Left Front.
Leader of Opposition and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari expressed confidence in a decisive victory, claiming the party would cross 180 seats. He also made sharp remarks targeting the ruling party during the counting process.
The elections witnessed heavy voter participation, with 93.19 per cent turnout in Phase I and 91.66 per cent in Phase II, taking the overall polling to over 92 per cent—one of the highest in the state’s history.
In the 2021 Assembly elections, the TMC had secured a dominant victory with 213 seats, while the BJP won 77 seats to become the principal opposition.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely as counting progresses across the state.
