On Thursday, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu achieved their highest voter participation rates since India’s independence in 1947, with turnout figures of 91.91% and 84.80% respectively, as stated by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. These elections featured strong public involvement, even amid isolated violent episodes in West Bengal and a competitive multi-party race in Tamil Nadu.
In West Bengal, the initial stage of the state assembly elections ended at 6 p.m., with reports of confrontations between workers from the Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party in various areas. Clashes occurred in Murshidabad between supporters of Humayun Kabir’s AJUP and Trinamool Congress members, and in Dakshin Dinajpur, where a BJP candidate reportedly faced an attack.
Tamil Nadu held its assembly elections in one phase, with 84.80% turnout by 7 p.m. among roughly 56.7 million eligible voters. The contest involves the governing DMK, the AIADMK-BJP coalition, and actor Vijay’s TVK party. Gyanesh Kumar highlighted this participation as a milestone for democracy since 1947, praising the voters’ commitment.
He noted that both states set new records for polling percentages post-independence, commending every participant. Despite claims of voter coercion and assaults on candidates, including two from the BJP, the Election Commission described the process as mostly calm and requested reports on the incidents.
West Bengal’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed confidence in her Trinamool Congress party’s success based on the day’s voting patterns. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at a rally in Krishnanagar, praised the high turnout as a sign of desire for change, noting reduced violence compared to past elections.
In Murshidabad, police used batons to break up fights between AJUP and Trinamool Congress supporters, resulting in damaged vehicles. In Kumarganj, BJP candidate Suvendu Sarkar was allegedly attacked by Trinamool members after addressing issues at a voting site.
In Tamil Nadu, turnout varied by area: Chennai at 83.09%, Madurai at 80.15%, Coimbatore at 84.40%, and Tiruchirappalli at 85.04%. The Kolathur seat in Chennai, contested by DMK leader and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, reached 85.63% by 6 p.m. Edappadi in Salem hit 91.61%, where former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami of AIADMK is running against a DMK opponent. TVK backed an independent after their candidate’s nomination was rejected.
Former Tamil Nadu BJP head K. Annamalai accused parties of widespread vote-buying, including cash and gold distributions, and faulted the Election Commission for poor voter transportation. Isolated conflicts occurred in places like Keezhavasal in Madurai and Kalasapakkam in Tiruvannamalai, with one case involving damage to election equipment in Tirupattur.
