Record electoral participation seen across Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam & Puducherry in recent elections: ECI

India’s electoral participation has continued to rise across states following the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, with fresh ECI data showing not only higher voter turnout percentages but also a significant increase in the absolute number of voters participating in Assembly elections. The figures, released after the 2026 Assembly polls in five states and union territories, suggest that the SIR process played a key role in expanding and updating electoral rolls, leading to broader voter participation across regions.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) released the figures under its “Chunav Ka Parv, Matdata Ka Garv” campaign, highlighting how the electorate across these four states and one Union Territory, namely Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry, has expanded significantly over the decades, alongside consistently high voter turnout levels among the strongest in the country. The pattern demonstrates sustained electoral engagement across regions and political contexts.

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Turnout and voter numbers rise across states

Among the sharpest increases was recorded in West Bengal, where voter turnout reached a historic 93.71 per cent in the 2026 Assembly elections, the highest since Independence. The total number of participating voters rose to 63,842,843 from 60,419,691 in 2021. The ECI’s historical graph also showed a steady rise from 39,294,971 voters in 2006.

Tamil Nadu registered an 86.03 per cent turnout, described by the ECI as the state’s highest-ever poll participation since Independence. The number of participating voters increased to 49,389,958 from 46,344,590 in 2021. Kerala recorded a turnout of 79.53 per cent, with 21,630,208 voters participating compared with 20,903,233 in the previous election. Officials described it as the highest-ever participation in terms of absolute numbers, crossing 2.16 crore voters.

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Higher turnout and rising voter number Photograph: (ECI)

In Assam, turnout stood at 86.33 per cent, while participating voters rose to 21,684,656 from 19,315,846 in 2021. ECI graphs showed a continuous rise in voter participation since 1985. Puducherry recorded a turnout of 91.19 per cent, with voters increasing to 866,932 from 837,543 in 2021. In a post on X, the ECI said: “From first-time voters to senior citizens, Puducherry showed the power of participation.”

SIR exercise and electoral revision

The ECI said the Special Intensive Revision exercise aims to enrol new voters turning 18, correct errors in electoral rolls, remove duplicate or ineligible entries and update voter data to reflect demographic changes. Officials described the exercise as a constitutional obligation under the Representation of the People Act, 1950. The Commission has now announced SIR Phase III across 16 states and three Union Territories, including Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, with the schedule aligned alongside ongoing Census house-listing operations. Reuters contributed to this report.