On Friday, 24th April, the Supreme Court of India took note of the high voter participation in West Bengal’s ongoing Assembly elections and appreciated the largely peaceful polling. The bench, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, was hearing the SIR matter when the discussion turned to the first phase of voting in the state.
Supreme Court, while hearing a plea related to SIR, lauded the record voter turnout in the first phase of the #WestBengal Assembly elections, and expressed satisfaction that polling concluded without any violence.https://t.co/SosjffGDod
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) April 24, 2026
During the proceedings, Senior Advocate Kalyan Banerjee informed the court that nearly 92% voter turnout was recorded, calling it historic. He also highlighted that many migrant workers returned to West Bengal from different parts of the country just to cast their votes.
Reacting to this, the Chief Justice said he was personally happy to see such a high turnout. He remarked that when people truly understand the power of their vote and participate actively in elections, they are less likely to resort to violence. According to him, faith in the democratic process strengthens law and order and keeps things peaceful.
Justice Bagchi also pointed out that, apart from the strong turnout, no major violence was reported during polling. Echoing this, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said security forces played an important role in maintaining peace, though he added that a few minor incidents did occur.
At one point, Justice Bagchi expressed in Bengali, saying, “Rajaye rajaye yuddha haye, ulukhagrar pran jaye,” explaining that when powerful people fight, it is often the common people who suffer the most.
The court later decided to list the matter again. It also allowed individuals with complaints about inclusion or exclusion from electoral rolls to approach the Calcutta High Court or the appropriate Appellate Tribunal for further relief.
