New Delhi: Voter turnout in the Assembly elections of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu surged to remarkable levels by 5 PM on April 23, Thursday, with West Bengal recording a massive 89.93 per cent voter turnout rate, significantly ahead of Tamil Nadu, which also posted a strong 82.24 per cent, according to the Election Commission of India. The late afternoon figures highlight an intense wave of voter participation across both states, as polling hours drew to a close.
West Bengal once again emerged as the frontrunner, with several districts crossing the 90 per cent mark. Dakshin Dinajpur led the state with an exceptional 93.12 per cent, followed by Cooch Behar at 92.07 per cent, Birbhum at 91.55 per cent, Murshidabad at 91.36 per cent and Jalpaiguri at 91.20 per cent. Jhargram (90.53 per cent) and Paschim Medinipur (90.70per cent) also remained above the 90 per cent threshold, while Bankura recorded 89.91 per cent and Malda 89.56 per cent. Darjeeling, though comparatively lower, still posted a strong 86.49 per cent. The numbers reflect an overwhelming voter turnout across districts, reinforcing West Bengal’s consistent trend of high electoral participation.
Record mandate in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu also witnessed a sharp rise in turnout as the day progressed, with several districts nearing or surpassing the high-80 per cent range. Karur led the state with 89.32 per cent, followed by Salem at 88.02 per cent, Erode at 87.59 per cent, Dharmapuri at 87.28 per cent and Tiruppur at 86.33 per cent. Ariyalur recorded 83.09 per cent, Tiruchirappalli 82.76 per cent and Chennai 81.34 per cent, indicating strong urban and semi-urban participation. Meanwhile, Madurai (77.89 per cent) and Thoothukudi (77.56 per cent) reported relatively lower but still significant turnout figures.
By 1 PM, West Bengal had recorded 56.81 per cent turnout compared to Tamil Nadu’s 62.18 per cent, indicating strong early participation. 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 142 constituencies in West Bengal is slated for May 29 and counting of votes will take place on May 4.
Meanwhile, in the by-elections held for few constituencies in Gujarat and Maharashtra, polling also picked up pace by 5 PM. In Gujarat, the Umreth constituency recorded a voter turnout of 54.43 per cent. In Maharashtra, Rahuri saw 50.68 per cent polling, while Baramati reported a slightly higher turnout at 52.44 per cent.
