‘Highest-ever since Independence’: Gyanesh Kumar hails record turnout in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Thursday hailed voters in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu for recording the highest-ever voter turnout in both states since Independence.

West Bengal, where polling was held for 152 Assembly seats in the first phase, registered a massive turnout of 91.91 per cent so far. Tamil Nadu also saw robust participation, with 84.80 per cent of votes cast, according to the latest data from the Election Commission of India.

“Highest-ever percentage of polling in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu since Independence. The ECI salutes each voter of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu,” Kumar said after polling concluded.

The high turnout is being viewed as a sign of strong electoral engagement, with voting taking place under tight security across constituencies.

Several districts in West Bengal crossed the 90 per cent mark, led by Dakshin Dinajpur (94.85%), followed by Cooch Behar (94.54%), Birbhum (93.70%), Jalpaiguri (93.23%) and Murshidabad (92.93%), reflecting consistently high participation across the state.

Tamil Nadu also recorded impressive figures, with Karur leading at 92.48%, followed by Salem (90.42%), Dharmapuri (90.02%), Erode (89.97%) and Namakkal (89.63%).

How did the states vote in 2021?

In the 2021 Assembly elections, West Bengal recorded a voter turnout of 85.2 per cent, while Tamil Nadu saw 76.6 per cent, underscoring a continuing trend of high voter participation in both states.

Polling for all 234 Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu and 152 constituencies in West Bengal was held on Thursday, with the remaining 142 seats in West Bengal scheduled to vote on May 29. Counting of votes will take place on May 4.