Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar praised voters for their participation as polling concluded at 6 pm on Thursday, announcing that West Bengal and Tamil Nadu achieved the highest-ever voter turnout since Independence.

“Highest ever percentage of polling in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu since Independence – ECI salutes each voter of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu,” CEC Gyanesh Kumar stated.

According to the Election Commission of India, Phase I polling saw West Bengal record a voter turnout of 91.91 per cent, significantly higher than Tamil Nadu’s 84.80 per cent.

The figures reflect active voter engagement across tightly secured constituencies.

Several districts in West Bengal recorded turnouts above 90 per cent, with Dakshin Dinajpur leading at 94.85 per cent, followed by Cooch Behar at 94.54 per cent, Birbhum at 93.70 per cent, Jalpaiguri at 93.23 per cent, and Murshidabad at 92.93 per cent. All major districts consistently remained above the 90 per cent mark.

Key districts in Tamil Nadu also displayed strong turnouts, led by Karur at 92.48 per cent, followed by Salem at 90.42 per cent, Dharmapuri at 90.02 per cent, Erode at 89.97 per cent, and Namakkal at 89.63 per cent.

In comparison, the 2021 Assembly elections recorded voter turnouts of 85.2 per cent in West Bengal and 76.6 per cent in Tamil Nadu, highlighting a significant increase in electoral participation across districts.

By-elections in other regions showed lower participation, with Umreth constituency in Gujarat reporting 59.04 per cent turnout; Rahuri in Maharashtra, 55.70 per cent; and Baramati, 57.77 per cent.

Polling started on Thursday morning for 234 Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu and 152 constituencies in West Bengal under tight security. Polling in the remaining 142 constituencies of West Bengal is scheduled for May 29, with vote counting set for May 4.

Source: TNM (With ANI Inputs)

--Agencies