West Bengal Polls Phase 1 Sees Nearly 90% Turnout Amid Violence

Nearly 90 per cent of the 3.60 crore electorate turned out to vote in the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections on Thursday, with high participation recorded alongside sporadic violence and allegations linked to voter list revisions.

According to PTI, turnout stood at 89.93 per cent by 5 pm across 16 districts where polling began at 7 am, covering 152 constituencies and deciding the fate of 1,478 candidates, including 167 women, in the 294-member Assembly. With voting continuing till 6 pm, observers said the final turnout could cross 95 per cent.

Queues outside polling booths were seen through the day, reflecting strong participation in a key phase of the contest between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the BJP. PTI reported that Dakshin Dinajpur recorded the highest turnout at 93.12 per cent by evening.

Analysts attributed the high turnout to both sustained political mobilisation and the statistical impact of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), which removed over 91 lakh names from the rolls, reducing the electorate by nearly 12 per cent. While the Election Commission maintained the exercise improved accuracy, opposition parties, particularly the TMC, alleged large-scale disenfranchisement, making turnout figures a point of political contention.

Polling rose steadily through the day, from 18.76 per cent in the first two hours to 41.11 per cent by 11 am and 62.18 per cent by 1 pm, indicating participation across regions ranging from North Bengal’s tea gardens to Murshidabad and Jangalmahal. Several of these districts had also recorded high turnout in the 2021 Assembly elections, held in eight phases, PTI reported.

Tension was reported from multiple constituencies, with clashes, allegations of intimidation and attacks on at least three candidates, including two from the BJP. The Election Commission sought detailed reports even as it maintained that polling was “largely peaceful”.

In Khoyrasol in Birbhum, protests broke out in the final hours after voters alleged that votes cast for the TMC were being registered for the BJP. The situation led to a temporary halt in polling, followed by clashes and stone pelting, after which security personnel used mild force to disperse the crowd.

Earlier, BJP candidate Suvendu Sarkar was allegedly manhandled in Kumarganj in Dakshin Dinajpur, while BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul’s vehicle was attacked in Asansol Dakshin, with stones shattering the rear window. The BJP described these incidents as targeted violence, while the TMC denied the allegations and accused the party of attempting to engineer unrest.

Further tension was reported in Naoda, where stones were allegedly hurled at the convoy of AJUP chief Humayun Kabir during his visit to a polling area, prompting intervention by security personnel. Clashes between TMC and Aam Janata Unnayan Party supporters led to a baton charge by central forces.

In Labhpur in Birbhum and Chanchal in Malda, BJP polling agents were allegedly assaulted by TMC workers. In Murarai, clashes between Congress and TMC supporters left at least two injured, while in Domkal, allegations surfaced that some voters were prevented from reaching polling stations, requiring security escort.

The Election Commission said it had received around 500 complaints by noon, along with 375 through the cVIGIL app. The TMC alone claimed to have lodged over 700 complaints by mid-afternoon, many linked to alleged EVM malfunction and the conduct of central forces.

The EVM issue added another layer to an already polarised phase, where identity, citizenship and voter list revision have overtaken traditional campaign issues such as jobs and corruption.

Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged that “TMC-sheltered criminals” were intimidating voters, while the TMC accused the BJP of using central agencies and forces to influence the process.

District-wise figures showed Murshidabad recording around 91 per cent turnout, followed by Bankura and Cooch Behar at about 92 per cent each. Malda, Jhargram and Paschim Medinipur reported close to 90 per cent polling, while Kalimpong recorded around 81 per cent.

The phase, covering all 54 seats in North Bengal along with key constituencies in the south, is central to the BJP’s effort to consolidate its northern base and to the TMC’s attempt to contain that expansion early in the contest. In 2021, the BJP had won 59 of these 152 seats, while the TMC secured 93.

(With inputs from PTI)