Relief as West Bengal sees bonhomie amid bitter political rivalry
The first phase of polling in the West Bengal Assembly elections saw both violence and moments of political courtesy among rival candidates. BJP candidate Dilip Ghosh and Trinamool Congress candidate Pradip Sarkar exchanged pleasantries, highlighting a rare instance of camaraderie. The polling was largely peaceful, with a record high voter turnout despite some technical issues.
- ▪The first phase of polling took place across 152 seats in West Bengal on April 23, 2026.
- ▪BJP candidate Dilip Ghosh and Trinamool Congress candidate Pradip Sarkar were seen exchanging pleasantries despite their rivalry.
- ▪Polling in the constituency was largely peaceful, with an average turnout of over 92%.
- ▪An elephant named Ramlal amusingly roamed outside a polling booth in Jhargram, drawing attention from voters.
- ▪The next phase of polling is scheduled for April 29, 2026, for the remaining seats.
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The first phase of polling across 152 seats in the West Bengal Assembly elections on Thursday (April 23, 2026) witnessed the usual scenes of violence, with supporters of rival parties targeting each other. However, there were few exceptions where political courtesy took precedence over political rivalry.After a bitterly contested elections for the Kharagpur Sadar Assembly seat, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Dilip Ghosh was seen exchanging pleasantries with his rival Trinamool Congress candidate Pradip Sarkar.“I do not think that we will meet, but here we meet again,” Mr. Ghosh was seen telling Mr. Sarkar.
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