Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Thursday lauded the voters of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu for the highest-ever voter turnout in both states since independence.
While West Bengal, which saw polling for 152 assembly seats in phase 1, recorded a mammoth turnout of 91.91 per cent so far, Tamil Nadu was also not far behind with 84.80 per cent of ballots cast, according to the latest ECI data.
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“Highest-ever percentage of polling in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu since Independence. The ECI salutes each voter of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu,” Gyanesh Kumar said after the polls closed.
The high turnout figures are generally seen as an active electoral exercise as polling drew to a close amid tight security arrangements across constituencies.
Several districts in West Bengal recorded voter turnout of over 90 per cent. Dakshin Dinajpur led with 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. The figures show consistently high voter participation across the state, with all major districts comfortably above 90 per cent.
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{{/usCountry}}Tamil Nadu also recorded a strong turnout across key districts, with Karur leading at 92.48 per cent, followed closely 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.
How did West Bengal and Tamil Nadu vote in 2021?
In the 2021 Assembly elections, West Bengal recorded a voter turnout of 85.2 per cent while Tamil Nadu recorded 76.6 per cent. The numbers reflect an overwhelming voter turnout across districts, reinforcing both states' consistent trend of high electoral participation.
Polling for the 234 Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu and 152 constituencies in West Bengal began amid tight security on Thursday. Polling in the remaining 142 constituencies in West Bengal is slated for May 29, and counting of votes will take place on May 4.