Voter turnout saw a sharp rise by Thursday evening, with West Bengal recording an impressive 89.93% turnout by 5 PM, clearly ahead of Tamil Nadu, which also registered a strong 82.24%, according to data released by the Election Commission. The numbers reflect a strong surge in participation as polling hours neared their end.
The late afternoon figures underline a high level of voter enthusiasm across both states, with people turning out in large numbers throughout the day. The steady increase from earlier hours shows how participation picked up pace as the day progressed.
West Bengal Leads With Massive Turnout Across Districts
West Bengal once again stood out, with multiple districts crossing the 90% mark. Dakshin Dinajpur topped the list with a remarkable 93.12%, followed by Cooch Behar at 92.07%, Birbhum at 91.55%, Murshidabad at 91.36%, and Jalpaiguri at 91.20%.
Other districts also posted strong figures, with Jhargram recording 90.53% and Paschim Medinipur 90.70%. Bankura came close at 89.91%, while Malda reported 89.56%. Even Darjeeling, which had comparatively lower turnout, still recorded a solid 86.49%, showing consistent participation across the state.
Tamil Nadu Sees Strong Participation Across Urban And Rural Areas
Tamil Nadu also witnessed a steady rise in turnout as the day went on, with several districts reaching the high-80% range. Karur led with 89.32%, followed by Salem at 88.02%, Erode at 87.59%, Dharmapuri at 87.28%, and Tiruppur at 86.33%.
Other districts like Ariyalur recorded 83.09%, while Tiruchirappalli stood at 82.76% and Chennai at 81.34%, reflecting strong participation even in urban areas. Madurai at 77.89% and Thoothukudi at 77.56% reported slightly lower but still significant turnout levels.
By-Elections And Earlier Trends Show Gradual Rise
Alongside the main elections, by-polls also saw moderate participation by 5 PM. Gujarat’s Umreth constituency recorded a turnout of 54.43%. In Maharashtra, Rahuri saw 50.68% polling, while Baramati reported a slightly higher figure of 52.44%.
Earlier in the day, turnout stood at 78.77% in West Bengal and 70.00% in Tamil Nadu by 3 PM. By 1 PM, West Bengal had recorded 56.81%, while Tamil Nadu was ahead at 62.18%, indicating strong early participation trends that continued through the day.
Polling Timeline And Next Phase Details
Polling for 234 Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu and 152 constituencies in West Bengal began under tight security arrangements in the morning. Voting is scheduled to conclude at 6:00 pm today.
The remaining 142 constituencies in West Bengal will go to polls on May 29, while counting of votes for both states is set to take place on May 4.
Khalid Qasid is a media enthusiast with a strong interest in documentary filmmaking. He holds a Master’s degree in Convergent Journalism from AJK MCRC. He has also written extensively on esports at Sportsdunia. Currently, he covers world and general news at NewsX Digital.
