Voter Turnout At 09:00 AM: Bengal At 18.76%, Tamil Nadu At 17.69%

Polling in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu recorded steady participation in the opening hours on Thursday, with voter turnout reaching 18.76 per cent in West Bengal and 17.69 per cent in Tamil Nadu by 9:00 AM, according to the Election Commission of India.

In West Bengal, voting began at 7:00 AM across 152 constituencies in 16 districts as part of the first phase of the Assembly elections.

Polling stations reported long queues early in the day, indicating strong public interest in the electoral process.

The districts voting in this phase include Cooch Behar, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, North and South Dinajpur, Malda, Murshidabad, East and West Midnapore, Jhargram, Purulia, Bankura, West Burdwan, and Birbhum.

The state’s elections are being conducted in two phases, with the remaining 142 constituencies scheduled to vote on April 29. Results will take place on May 4.

Tamil Nadu, however, is witnessing polling across all 234 Assembly constituencies in a single phase. More than 5.7 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballots, deciding the fate of 4,023 candidates.

The contest in Tamil Nadu involves major political formations such as the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led alliance, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led bloc, Naam Tamilar Katchi, and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, making it a closely fought election.

Across both states, voters arrived at polling stations in large numbers from the morning hours onward.

With turnout expected to influence the final outcome significantly, political parties are closely tracking voting patterns.

The counting of votes for both states will take place on May 4.

Also Read: PM Modi, Amit Shah Urge Strong Turnout As Voting Proceeds In Tamil Nadu