West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday stirred controversy during the second phase of the state Assembly elections after referring to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) as “gunda” (hooligans), before immediately retracting the remark. The Chief Minister also alleged that central forces had assaulted workers and leaders of the ruling Trinamool Congress during polling.

Banerjee made the comments while visiting polling booths in South Kolkata, where voting was underway across 142 constituencies in six districts. She claimed that a party worker had been assaulted the previous night and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of attempting to influence the election process. According to her, external observers and officials were exerting pressure on local police and targeting party agents, thereby disrupting what she described as the “festival of democracy.”

In a specific allegation, the Chief Minister said CRPF personnel entered the residence of a local councillor in the early hours without accompanying state police and assaulted family members present at the time. While initially referring to the personnel as “gunda,” she quickly corrected herself but maintained her accusation of misconduct. She further stated that she had remained awake through the night monitoring developments and was prepared to present evidence supporting her claims.

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Polling for the second phase began at 7 a.m. under tight security arrangements, including the deployment of central armed police forces, CCTV surveillance, and webcasting at polling stations. Despite these measures, reports of sporadic tension emerged from several areas, including Bhabanipur and Rashbehari in South Kolkata, where allegations of intimidation and obstruction were reported by rival political parties.

In Bhabanipur, which is witnessing a high-profile contest between Mamata Banerjee and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, central forces cautioned the Chief Minister’s brother for gathering near a police station with more people than permitted. Elsewhere, in Hooghly district’s Singur, protests were staged over alleged excesses by security personnel, while in Nadia district’s Santipur constituency, polling was briefly delayed due to an electronic voting machine malfunction.

The second phase of the elections spans key districts including North and South 24 Parganas, Hooghly, Howrah, Nadia, and East Burdwan, alongside Kolkata. Authorities have described the security deployment—comprising over 2,400 companies of central forces—as unprecedented. While officials maintain that arrangements are in place to ensure free and fair voting, competing allegations from political parties underscore the tense atmosphere surrounding the electoral process.

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