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Over 96% polling in Bengal seat with highest SIR deletions in Phase 1

Over 95% polling in Bengal seat with highest SIR deletions in Phase 1

Alipurduar [West Bengal], Apr 23 (ANI): Electors queue infront of polling stations during the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026, in Alipurduar on Thursday. @CEOWestBengal X/ANI Photo)Electors queue infront of polling stations during the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026, in Alipurduar on Thursday. @CEOWestBengal X/ANI Photo)

Both West Bengal (first phase) and Tamil Nadu recorded their highest-ever voter turnouts in the Assembly elections on Thursday.

In West Bengal, where 152 of the total 294 Assembly seats went to polls in the first phase, the turnout was 92.88%, according to the ECINET app data around midnight. This is the first election since the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) cut the electoral rolls by 11.63% in the state, including 27.10 lakh deleted electors in limbo with their appeals pending before tribunals.

In Tamil Nadu, according to the ECINET app data around midnight, the turnout was 85.15%. The state’s previous  record high was 78.29% in the 2011 Assembly elections. While women voters recorded 85.76% polling on Thursday, male voters recorded 83.57%.

In West Bengal, the previous  record high was 84.72% in 2011, when Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stormed to power, ending the 34-year-rule of the CPI(M).

While women voters recorded 92.69% polling in West Bengal on Thursday, male voters recorded 90.92%.

A total of 1,478 candidates were in the fray across 44,376 polling stations in the first phase. The remaining seats will go to polls on April 29.

Samserganj in Murshidabad district, the Assembly seat in the first phase of polling in West Bengal which had the highest deletions in the SIR adjudication phase, had recorded 96.04% turnout until 11.30 pm, according to the ECINET app. The other seats among the top five in terms of deletions, Lalgola, Bhagawangola, Raghunathganj and Farakka, too, had high turnouts, at 96.45%, 96.95%, 96.9% and 96.05% until 11.30 pm, respectively.

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“Highest ever percentage of polling in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu since Independence. ECI salutes each voter of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu,” Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said

Polling in the state was conducted amid heavy deployment of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel by the EC, with around 2.4 lakh personnel, 152 general observers, 58 police observers and state police personnel deployed.

EC’s Special Election Observer in Bengal, Subrata Gupta, said apart from some sporadic incidents, polling was violence-free. “We are taking action on every complaint. We are taking action on all the complaints that have come in… Regarding statutory violations, complaints related to EVMs, we have instructed the presiding officers and returning officers to take action. In the case of law and order issues, we have immediately contacted the CAPF’s QRT. I have requested an investigation report, and based on that, we will take action,” said Gupta.

In West Bengal, the elections were held after a contentious SIR exercise, which began in October last year. In June 2025, the EC had announced the SIR of electoral rolls across the country, starting with Bihar as Assembly elections were due in the state. As opposed to the annual and pre-election Special Summary Revision (SSR) of electoral rolls that has been the practice for the past 20 years, the EC decided to conduct an intensive revision, where electoral rolls are prepared afresh.

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In a departure from previous intensive revisions, the last round of which was held in the early 2000s across states, the SIR 2025-2026 adopted a document-based approach, where all registered electors were required to submit forms, and some categories of electors needed to provide documents from a list of 13 identified by the EC in order to establish their eligibility, including citizenship. In the case of West Bengal, the EC deployed micro-observers to review the decisions taken by the statutory authority, the Electoral Registration Officers, leading to an unprecedented Supreme Court-ordered adjudication and appeal process in which 27.10 lakh electors were deleted.

As polls closed on Thursday evening, the TMC said in a statement: “Despite the Election Commission deleting 91 lakh names through SIR, Bengal has delivered a record voter turnout… It is over for the BJP”. It said the reason for the high voter turnout was “because the people of Bengal know this could be their last real chance to secure their future”.

“They see the NRC and delimitation threat staring them in the face, and they have voted with full force to smash every future conspiracy of BJP,” the party said.

In a post on X, Home Minister Amit Shah, who was in Kolkata on Thursday, said: “The sun of the TMC’s corruption and hooliganism has set.”

Damini Nath is an Assistant Editor with the national bureau of The Indian Express. She covers the housing and urban affairs and Election Commission beats. She has 11 years of experience as a reporter and sub-editor. Before joining The Indian Express in 2022, she was a reporter with The Hindu’s national bureau covering culture, social justice, housing and urban affairs and the Election Commission. Expertise Key Coverage Areas: Damini Nath currently specializes in reporting on two crucial beats: Housing and Urban Affairs: Providing in-depth analysis and reporting on India's urban development, policy, and housing issues. Election Commission (EC): Offering authoritative coverage of electoral processes, policies, and the functioning of India's constitutional body responsible for conducting elections. Professional Background: Her extensive experience includes roles as a reporter and sub-editor, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of the journalistic process from fieldwork to final production. Previous Role: Before joining The Indian Express in 2022, she served as a dedicated reporter with The Hindu’s national bureau, where her reporting portfolio included: Culture Social Justice Housing and Urban Affairs The Election Commission beat (a consistent area of focus). Trustworthiness Damini Nath's decade-plus career at two of India's most respected and authoritative news institutions, The Indian Express and The Hindu, underscores her commitment to factual, impartial, and high-quality reporting, establishing her as a trusted and credible source for news on urban governance and electoral matters. ... Read More

Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain. Experience  Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express. Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news. Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions. Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal. Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla. Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent. Education Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting. Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University. Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur. Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More

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