West Bengal leads with 78.77 pc turnout, Tamil Nadu records 70 pc till 3 pm

NEW DELHI: The voter turnout in the ongoing Assembly polling gathered strong momentum by 3 pm on Thursday, with West Bengal leading the charts at an impressive 78.77 per cent turnout rate, significantly outpacing Tamil Nadu, which recorded a 70.00 per cent turnout, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI).

The high participation levels signal robust voter engagement across both states, with several districts in West Bengal crossing the 80 per cent mark well before polling hours conclude at 6 pm. In West Bengal, multiple districts reported exceptionally high voter turnout figures, underscoring an energised electorate.

#WATCH | West Bengal Elections 2026 | Asansol | BJP candidate from Asansol South Assembly constituency, Agnimitra Paul shows her inked finger after casting her vote

She says, “We are sure that the people of Bengal will vote for BJP… They are determined with remove TMC, who is… pic.twitter.com/P1xnxGCLOB

— ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2026

Dakshin Dinajpur emerged as the frontrunner with 81.49 per cent, followed closely by Paschim Medinipur at 81.07 per cent, Jhargram at 81.04 per cent, and Birbhum at 80.22 per cent. Murshidabad also saw strong participation at 79.72 per cent, while Darjeeling and Malda recorded comparatively lower but still significant turnouts of 76.54 per cent and 76.22 per cent, respectively. The overall trend indicates a widespread and enthusiastic voter response across both urban and rural pockets of the state.

#WATCH | Tamil Nadu Elections 2026 | Actor S. Ajith Kumar casts his vote at a polling station in Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai. pic.twitter.com/5nmbDQnk1S

— ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2026

Tamil Nadu, while trailing behind West Bengal in overall turnout, still posted encouraging numbers across its districts. Namakkal led the state with 76.43 per cent, closely followed by Karur at 76.08 per cent, Salem at 75.79 per cent, Erode at 75.61 per cent, and Tiruppur at 75.38 per cent. Other districts such as Dharmapuri (74.68 per cent), Dindigul (74.35 per cent), Kancheepuram (72.51 per cent), Coimbatore (71.16 per cent), Kallakurichi (71.11 per cent), and Tiruchirappalli (71.05 per cent) also reflected steady voter participation, contributing to the state’s overall healthy turnout figures.

Meanwhile, in the by-elections held across other states, turnout remained comparatively moderate by 3 pm. In Gujarat, the Umreth constituency recorded a voter turnout of 46.66 per cent. In Maharashtra, Rahuri saw 39.60 per cent polling, while Baramati registered a slightly higher turnout at 40.36 per cent.

By 1 pm, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal witnessed massive voter turnout, recording 62.18 per cent and 56.81 per cent respectively at 1 pm, according to the Election Commission of India.

Polling for the 234 Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu and 152 constituencies in West Bengal began amid tight security this morning. The voting will conclude at 6 pm today. Polling in the remaining constituencies in West Bengal is slated for May 29, and counting of votes will take place on May 4.

Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Archana Patnaik said that the state’s electorate comprises over 5.73 crore voters, featuring 2,93,04,905 female voters, 2,80,30,658 male voters, and 7,728 third-gender voters. The poll body is also catering to 14,59,039 first-time voters and 68,501 service voters, with 4,18,541 postal votes already received. Furthermore, 62 counting centres have already been established to ensure a smooth process after the high-stakes voting concludes.

The main contest is expected between the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, which includes the Congress, DMDK and VCK, and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by AIADMK with BJP and PMK as allies.

In West Bengal, the parties are contesting against one another for 294 Assembly seats. As per the ECI, the first phase covers 152 Assembly constituencies, while the second phase includes 142 seats. There are a total of 1,478 candidates in the fray in this phase.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is aiming for a fourth consecutive term, while the BJP, which secured 77 seats in the previous election, is making a renewed push to form the government in the state. (ANI)