West Bengal has achieved a historic milestone in the ongoing General Elections to the Legislative Assembly, with Phase-II recording a voter turnout of 91.66 per cent as of 7:45 PM. This has pushed the combined turnout for the first two phases to 92.47 per cent, the highest poll participation in the state since Independence.
Polling for Phase-II of the West Bengal Assembly elections commenced at 7:00 AM today across 142 Assembly Constituencies in 8 districts. The provisional figures, uploaded by Presiding Officers on ECINET, show enthusiastic participation by voters. Gender-wise, women led with 92.28 per cent turnout, followed by men at 91.07 per cent and the third gender at 91.28 per cent. Data from 5,343 polling stations is still being updated, and final figures will include service voters and postal ballots.
In Phase-I, held on 23rd April, the turnout stood at an even higher 93.19 per cent. The two-phase combined average of 92.47 per cent comfortably surpasses the previous record of 84.72 per cent recorded in the 2011 Assembly elections. This marks a significant increase from past elections, including the 2021 Assembly polls (82.30 per cent) and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in the state (79.55 per cent).
Chief Election Commissioner Shri Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Dr. S.S. Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi, monitored the polling through 100 per cent live webcasting from polling stations. The Election Commission implemented several voter-friendly measures, including colour photographs of candidates on EVM ballot papers, Mobile Deposit Facility, improved Voter Information Slips, and a cap of 1,200 electors per polling station. Facilities such as wheelchairs and volunteers were provided to assist Persons with Disabilities (PwD), along with transport support.
Phase I covered 152 Assembly Constituencies with an electorate of approximately 3.60 crore voters and 44,376 polling stations, while Phase II was held in 142 Assembly Constituencies with around 3.21 crore electors and 41,001 polling stations. Together, the two phases encompassed 294 Assembly Constituencies, a total electorate of about 6.81 crore, and 85,377 polling stations.
Not just West Bengal, other states also recorded the highest voter turnout during these elections. In Tamil Nadu, which went to polls in a single phase on 23 April 2026 across all 234 seats, the provisional turnout reached a record 85.1 per cent, surpassing previous benchmarks. Similarly, the elections held on 9 April 2026 in Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry recorded impressive figures, with Assam achieving its highest-ever turnout of around 85.38 per cent, Puducherry setting a new record at approximately 89.83 per cent, and Kerala registering a robust 78.03 per cent, its highest in nearly four decades.
The strong turnout reflects heightened democratic engagement in the state and the result of the removal of dead and duplicate voters from the voter list in the SIR exercise. This record participation underscores the success of the Election Commission’s initiatives in ensuring accessible and transparent elections.
