Voters come out en-masse, Tamil Nadu registers 37.57 % turnout while West Bengal sees 41.11% at 11 am
New Delhi, April 23
The states of Tamil Nadu and West Bengal are seeing mega voter turnout even during the first few hours of voting. The voter turnout in West Bengal was recorded at 41.11 per cent, while in Tamil Nadu it was recorded at 37.57 per cent at 11 am on Thursday, according to Election Commission of India.
In Tamil Nadu, the highest turnout of 42.45 per cent was in Tiruppur district followed by Namakkal at 41.41 per cent, then Erode at 41.00 per cent. Chennai district registered a turnout of 35.47 per cent, Coimbatore at 38.62 per cent and Madurai at 36.22 per cent. The lowest voter turnout was recorded in the Nilgiris at 32.62 per cent
In West Bengal Paschim Mednipur district recorded a high turnout of 44. 68 percent followed by Jhargam at 43.71 per cent and Bankura at 43.22 per cent. The lowest turnout was recorded in Malda at 38.22 per cent.
Polling for the Assembly elections began in Tamil Nadu and 152 constituencies in West Bengal amid tight security on Thursday. The voting will conclude at 6:00 pm today. The counting of votes will take place on May 4.
Several leaders, including Chief Minister MK Stalin, TVK chief Vijay, DMK minister KN Nehru, along with actors Rajinikanth and Dhurv Vikram, cast their votes this morning.
Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Archana Patnaik said that the state's electorate comprises over 5.73 crore voters, featuring 2,93,04,905 female voters, 2,80,30,658 male voters, and 7,728 third-gender voters. The poll body is also catering to 14,59,039 first-time voters and 68,501 service voters, with 4,18,541 postal votes already received. Furthermore, 62 counting centres have already been established to ensure a smooth process after the high-stakes voting concludes
The main contest is expected between the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, which includes the Congress, DMDK and VCK, and the National Democratic Alliance led by AIADMK with BJP and PMK as allies.
In West Bengal, the parties are contesting against one another for 294 Assembly seats. As per the Election Commission of India (ECI), the first phase covers 152 Assembly constituencies, while the second phase includes 142 seats. There are a total of 1,478 candidates in the fray in this phase.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is aiming for a fourth consecutive term, while the BJP, which secured 77 seats in the previous election, is making a renewed push to form the government in the state.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As a Chennai resident, I must say our turnout of 35.47% at 11 am is a bit disappointing compared to rural districts. We city folks often complain but don't show up. Need to do better in the remaining hours. Let's go vote!
The detailed breakdown of voters is impressive - over 5.7 crore in TN alone, with good gender parity and recognition of third-gender voters. The Election Commission's preparation with 62 counting centers ready shows good planning. Hope the process remains smooth.
West Bengal's numbers are strong! Paschim Medinipur at nearly 45% by 11 am is fantastic. The contest there is very heated, so high turnout was expected. Hope the security arrangements hold and voting remains peaceful throughout the day.
Respectfully, while the turnout numbers look good, I hope people are voting based on development issues and not just party symbols or freebies. Both states need stable governments that focus on jobs, infrastructure, and education. That should be the real contest.
Interesting to see the political dynamics. In TN it's DMK alliance vs AIADMK-BJP, while in Bengal it's TMC vs BJP directly. Such different political landscapes in one country. The high turnout suggests people have strong opinions. Counting on May 4 will be exciting!
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.