ECI hails record-breaking voter turnout in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, highest since Independence

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on April 23 announced record-breaking voter turnout in the ongoing Assembly elections, with Tamil Nadu registering 84.69 per cent and West Bengal (Phase-I) recording an impressive 91.78 per cent participation — the highest since Independence in both states.

Polling began at 7:00 AM for Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and the first phase in West Bengal, along with by-elections in select constituencies of Gujarat and Maharashtra.

According to provisional data, voter turnout in Tamil Nadu surpassed its previous high of 78.29 per cent recorded in 2011, while West Bengal exceeded its earlier peak of 84.72 per cent, also in 2011.

Gender-wise data showed higher participation among women voters in both states. Tamil Nadu recorded 85.76 per cent turnout among women compared to 83.57 per cent among men, while in West Bengal (Phase-I), women turnout stood at 92.69 per cent against 90.92 per cent for men.

The ECI noted that the figures are based on data uploaded through the ECINET platform and remain provisional, with updates from several polling stations still pending. Final turnout figures will be released after inclusion of service voters and postal ballots.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Dr. S.S. Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi, monitored the polling process through live webcasting, which was implemented across all polling stations in both states.

The Commission highlighted several voter-friendly measures introduced this election cycle, including improved voter information slips, colour photographs of candidates on EVMs, mobile deposit facilities, and enhanced accessibility for persons with disabilities, such as transport support and wheelchair availability.

Officials said polling was largely peaceful, with district and constituency-wise turnout data available on the ECINET application.