Highest-ever voter turnout since Independence: West Bengal at 91.91%, Tamil Nadu at 84.80%
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Highest-ever voter turnout since Independence: West Bengal at 91.91%, Tamil Nadu at 84.80%")
Electors queue infront of polling stations during the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026, in Darjeeling on Thursday. Photograph: (X@CEOWestBengal)
West Bengal voted for 152 seats in the first phase on April 23, while Tamil Nadu cast ballots for all 234 seats in a single round on the same day. The second round in Bengal, covering the remaining 142 constituencies, is slated for April 29.
The polling for the Assembly elections in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu concluded at 6 pm on Thursday (April 23), recording unprecedented participation. West Bengal registered 91.91 per cent voting in Phase I, while Tamil Nadu recorded 84.80 per cent, according to the Election Commission of India.
After the conclusion of polling, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar described the record turnout as the “highest since Independence” in both states and saluted voters for participating in the “festival of democracy” in such large numbers.
"Highest ever percentage of polling in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu since Independence - ECI salutes each voter of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu," Kumar said.
Several districts in West Bengal crossed the 90 per cent mark, highlighting widespread enthusiasm. Dakshin Dinajpur recorded the highest participation at 94.85 per cent, followed by Cooch Behar (94.54 per cent), Birbhum (93.70 per cent), Jalpaiguri (93.23 per cent) and Murshidabad (92.93 per cent).
Tamil Nadu records robust voter participation
Tamil Nadu also reported significant participation across key districts. Karur led with 92.48 per cent, followed by Salem (90.42 per cent), Dharmapuri (90.02 per cent), Erode (89.97 per cent) and Namakkal (89.63 per cent). The numbers indicate steady involvement across both urban and rural areas.
Trending Stories
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
Compared to 85.2 per cent in West Bengal and 76.6 per cent in Tamil Nadu during the 2021 Assembly elections, the latest figures mark a significant rise in voter turnout across both states.
West Bengal voted for 152 seats in the first phase on Thursday, while Tamil Nadu cast ballots for all 234 seats in a single round on the same day. The second round in Bengal, covering the remaining 142 constituencies, is slated for April 29, completing voting across all 294 assembly seats.
Results for all five poll-bound states, including West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry, will be declared on May 4.
Bengal polls gripped the nation's attention, with the BJP undertaking an intense campaign through back-to-back high-profile rallies by PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to unseat Mamata Banerjee after 15 years of Trinamool Congress rule.
The BJP, which managed only 77 seats in 2021, is making a renewed push for power, while Banerjee seeks a fourth consecutive term. The campaign has been defined by disputes over electoral rolls, border security, undocumented migration and broader concerns over governance, women's safety and anti-incumbency.
