New Delhi, 23 April  

Voter turnout surged to remarkable levels by 5pm on Thursday, with West Bengal recording a massive 89.93 per cent voter turnout rate, significantly ahead of Tamil Nadu, which also posted a strong 82.24per cent, according to the Election Commission.

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 93.12per cent, followed by Cooch Behar at 92.07per cent, Birbhum at 91.55per cent, Murshidabad at 91.36per cent, and Jalpaiguri at 91.20per cent. Jhargram (90.53per cent) and Paschim Medinipur (90.70per cent) also remained above the 90per cent threshold, while Bankura recorded 89.91per cent and Malda 89.56per cent. Darjeeling, though comparatively lower, still posted a strong 86.49per cent.

Tamil Nadu also witnessed a sharp rise in turnout as the day progressed, with several districts nearing or surpassing the high-80per cent range. Karur led the state with 89.32per cent, followed by Salem at 88.02per cent, Erode at 87.59per cent, Dharmapuri at 87.28per cent, and Tiruppur at 86.33per cent. Ariyalur recorded 83.09per cent, Tiruchirappalli 82.76per cent, and Chennai 81.34per cent, indicating strong urban and semi-urban participation. Meanwhile, Madurai (77.89per cent) and Thoothukudi (77.56per cent) reported relatively lower but still significant turnout figures.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, West Bengal recorded a voter tournout of 85.2 per cent while Tamil Nadu recorded 76.6 per cent. The numbers reflect an overwhelming voter turnout across districts, reinforcing West Bengal's consistent trend of high electoral participation.

Meanwhile, in the by-elections, polling also picked up pace by 5pm. In Gujarat, the Umreth constituency recorded a voter turnout of 54.43per cent. In Maharashtra, Rahuri saw 50.68per cent polling, while Baramati reported a slightly higher turnout at 52.44per cent.

Earlier in the day, voter turnout stood at 78.77per cent in West Bengal and 70.00per cent in Tamil Nadu by 3pm, as per ECI data.

By 1pm, West Bengal had recorded 56.81per cent turnout compared to Tamil Nadu's 62.18per 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 6.00pm today. Polling in the remaining 142 constituencies in West Bengal is slated for 29 April, and counting of votes will take place on 4 May.