KOLKATA / NEW YORK (TIP): West Bengal registered a record voter turnout of 92.03% in the first phase of Assembly elections on Thursday, April 23, 2026, amidst isolated incidents of violence. The election, which saw the highest-ever polling in the State since 1951, was followed by a four-month long special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls that saw a drop in the electorate by about 12%.
Among the districts which recorded high polling were Dakshin Dinajpur where 94.98% voters exercised their franchise, followed by Cooch Behar at 94.75% and Birbhum registering a polling of 93.88%. According to the State’s Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal, the polling percentage is expected to rise further when final figures arrive. The opening phase will decide the electoral fate of 1,478 candidates in 152 constituencies of the 294-strong State Assembly.
In two separate incidents of violence, BJP candidates were targeted on the polling day. The BJP candidate from Kumarganj assembly seat in Dakshin Dinajpur, Subhendu Sarkar, was chased and beaten up by a group of people when he was visiting a polling booth in a remote area.
A clash broke out in Murshidabad as Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers raised slogans and entered into an altercation with police upon the arrival of Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AUJP) founder Humayun Kabir in the area. The Election Commission of India (ECI) also sought a report from officials over allegations that several people were prevented from casting their votes in Murshidabad district’s Domkal, officials said.
The second phase will be held on April 29, when 142 seats in and around Kolkata go to polls. The votes will be counted on May 4.
(Source: The Hindu)
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