High voter participation marks key phase of Assembly polls, with isolated tensions in Bengal and record turnout in Tamil Nadu.
New Delhi: High voter participation marked Assembly elections in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu on Thursday, with West Bengal recording nearly 90% turnout in the first phase and Tamil Nadu crossing 84% in a single-phase poll.
According to data from the Election Commission of India, West Bengal registered a voter turnout of 89.93% till 5 pm in the first phase, while Tamil Nadu recorded 84.29% polling till 6 pm across all 234 constituencies.
In West Bengal, polling was held in 152 of the state’s 294 constituencies. Dakshin Dinajpur district recorded the highest turnout at 93.12%, reflecting strong voter participation. In Nandigram in Purba Medinipur district, long queues were seen from early morning, continuing through the day.
However, the polling process was not entirely without incidents. In Dakshin Dinajpur, BJP candidate Suvendu Sarkar was allegedly manhandled while heading to a polling booth following reports of disturbances. Security personnel remained deployed across polling stations to maintain order.
Amid the high turnout, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed confidence in her party’s prospects. Addressing a rally in Kolkata, she said, “From my understanding of people’s mind, we are already in a position to win given the polling held so far today.” She added that her focus extended beyond the state, stating, “I am not interested in any post, I don’t want the chair. I only want the end of BJP government in Delhi.”
The elections in West Bengal are being conducted in phases, with the next round scheduled for April 29 and counting set for May 4.
In Tamil Nadu, polling concluded in a single phase with a turnout of 84.29%, surpassing the previous highest of 78.29% recorded in the 2011 Assembly elections. The state saw participation from over 5.73 crore voters.
Karur district recorded the highest turnout at 91.86%. Among major cities, Chennai reported 83.09% polling, Madurai 80.15%, Coimbatore 84.40%, and Tiruchirappalli 85.04%. In Kolathur constituency, where Chief Minister M. K. Stalin is contesting, turnout stood at 85.63%.
Officials noted that the electorate size in Tamil Nadu had reduced following a Special Intensive Revision, bringing the total number of voters down from 6.41 crore in 2025 to 5.73 crore this year.
The strong voter turnout in both states highlights heightened political engagement and sets the stage for closely watched results, which will be announced on May 4 along with outcomes from other states that went to polls earlier.
