West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026 | First phase of polling witnesses high turnout amid cases of violence

Kolkata: The first phase of polling for the West Bengal assembly elections on Thursday witnessed a high turnout, with a record 92.88 per cent of the 3.60 crore voters exercising their franchise in 152 constituencies, although lakhs deleted from the electoral rolls over the past few months were barred from participating in the festival of democracy.

A few incidents of clashes between the workers of the rival political parties and assaults on candidates were reported from some of the constituencies. At least four people died after falling sick while waiting in the queue in the Birbhum, Malda, Purba Medinipur and Paschim Medinipur districts of the state, apparently due to heat.

The Election Commission suspended all polling personnel of a booth at Pingla assembly constituency in the Paschim Medinipur district of the state after they allegedly left the polling station unattended during voting hours.

Over 92 per cent of the 1.75 crore women and over 90 per cent of 1.84 crore men cast votes in the constituencies, spread over 16 districts, which went to the polls in the first phase, according to the EC.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar noted in the evening that the turnout, which might go up further, was already the highest since Independence.

The remaining 142 constituencies will go to the polls in the second phase on April 29.

Chief Minister and the Trinamool Congress supremo, Mamata Banerjee, said at a rally in Kolkata that people turned up at the polling stations in such large numbers as they did not want to take any risk after the deletion of lakhs of voters during the Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls in West Bengal. The TMC dismissed the speculation that the high turnout reflected an anti-incumbency wave against it, claiming that the party would win in 125-134 of the 152 constituencies that went to the polls in the first phase.

The Coochbehar district in North Bengal registered the highest voter turnout – 96.04 per cent – followed by Dakshin Dinajpur (95.44 per cent) and Jalpaiguri (94.65 per cent). The Malda and Murshidabad districts recorded turnouts of 94.46 per cent and 93.61 per cent, respectively.

The TMC’s principal rival, Bharatiya Janata Party, however, said that the high turnout had indicated an overwhelming response by people to its call for a change in West Bengal. “Whatever I have learnt so far makes me sure that West Bengal is going to deliver a mandate for a change,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said as he addressed a rally in Nadia.

A convoy of Humayun Kabir, the leader of the Aam Janata Unnayan Party, came under attack at Naoda in Murshidabad, triggering clashes between supporters of rival parties. The central paramilitary forces carried out a baton charge to bring the situation under control.

The BJP alleged that its leaders were targeted by the TMC workers in separate incidents. The saffron party’s candidate, Suvendu Sarkar, was allegedly chased and assaulted in Kumarganj in Dakshin Dinajpur. The party’s legislator, Agnimitra Paul, a candidate in Asansol Dakshin, came under attack, with stones pelted by a mob, damaging the rear windshield of her car. In Kharisaol in Birbhum, tensions flared after voters alleged that ballots cast for the Trinamool Congress were being registered in favour of the BJP. The allegation sparked protests outside the polling station, briefly halting voting. Some of the protesters pelted stones during the unrest. The paramilitary personnel used mild force to disperse the crowd and restore order. Labhpur, Chanchal and Murarai witnessed clashes that left several injured. In Domkal, voters allegedly faced obstruction while heading to booths, with some of them being later escorted by security personnel.