New Delhi, 23 April

The voter turnout in the ongoing Assembly polling  gathered strong momentum by 3pm 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 per cent, 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 6pm.

In West Bengal, multiple districts reported exceptionally high voter turnout figures, underscoring an energised electorate.

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

Tamil Nadu, while trailing behind West Bengal in overall turnout, still posted encouraging numbers across its districts. Namakkal led the state with 76.43per cent, closely followed by Karur at 76.08per cent, Salem at 75.79per cent, Erode at 75.61per cent, and Tiruppur at 75.38per cent. Other districts such as Dharmapuri (74.68per cent), Dindigul (74.35per cent), Kancheepuram (72.51per cent), Coimbatore (71.16per cent), Kallakurichi (71.11per cent), and Tiruchirappalli (71.05per 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 3pm. In Gujarat, the Umreth constituency recorded a voter turnout of 46.66per cent. In Maharashtra, Rahuri saw 39.60per cent polling, while Baramati registered a slightly higher turnout at 40.36per cent.

By 1PM, 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 6:00 pm today. Polling in the remaining constituencies in West Bengal is slated for May 29, and counting of votes will take place on 4 May.

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.