Record Voter Turnout in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections
High Voter Engagement in Assembly Polls
KOLKATA/CHENNAI, Apr 24: The first phase of assembly elections witnessed an impressive voter turnout of 92.72 percent in West Bengal, despite some incidents of violence, while Tamil Nadu saw an extraordinary participation rate of 85.14 percent. The BJP is striving to unseat Mamata Banerjee in Bengal and expand its influence in the southern state.
During this initial phase, voting occurred in 152 constituencies across West Bengal, whereas the entire 234-member Tamil Nadu assembly was contested simultaneously.
This electoral process unfolds amid significant political tensions regarding the SIR of the electoral rolls, a contentious issue between the BJP and opposition parties, notably the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
The BJP aims to seize control from the TMC, which is seeking a fourth consecutive term in a state where the saffron party has yet to govern. In Tamil Nadu, the main competitors are the ruling DMK and the opposition AIADMK, with actor-politician Vijay's TVK and Tamil nationalist Seeman's NTK also making notable efforts.
In Tamil Nadu, the contest primarily pits the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance against the AIADMK-led NDA. Chief Minister M K Stalin has focused his campaign on the "Dravidian Model" of governance, accusing the AIADMK of being under BJP influence from Delhi. AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami is striving to reclaim his position after five years in opposition.
In the previous election in 2021, Tamil Nadu recorded a voter turnout of 73.63 percent, with its highest turnout of 78.29 percent occurring during the 2011 assembly elections, which the AIADMK won decisively.
Notably, the electorate size has decreased from 6.41 crore in October 2025 to 5.73 crore currently due to the SIR. Consequently, the 2021 elections had approximately 6.29 crore registered voters, which is 56 lakh more than this year.
BJP leader Narayanan Thirupathy attributed the increased voter turnout in Tamil Nadu to reforms by the Election Commission, stating that the high polling percentage reflects a strong democratic spirit and indicates a promising path to victory for the NDA.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the substantial voter turnout in Bengal as "an overwhelming mandate for change," asserting that May 4, the date for vote counting, would signify the end of the "TMC's 15-year-old syndicate system and maha jungle raj" in West Bengal. Conversely, Banerjee claimed that the initial polling results suggest that the TMC is poised for victory, predicting wins in 125-134 out of the 152 constituencies.
The second phase of voting for the remaining 142 of the 294 seats in West Bengal is scheduled for April 29, with counting for all four states and one Union Territory—Kerala, Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry—set for May 4.
With over 90 percent turnout in the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections, the stage is set for a highly competitive battle, marked by allegations regarding electoral roll adjustments, sporadic violence, and contrasting political narratives between the ruling TMC and the BJP.