India’s West Bengal has recorded a historic voter turnout of 92.9% after the second phase of assembly elections, marking one of the highest participation rates in the country’s electoral history.
Polling across 142 constituencies in Phase 2 saw a turnout of 92.6%, significantly surpassing the 81.5% recorded in 2021 and even exceeding the state’s previous best of 84.3% in 2011. Officials from the Election Commission of India said the figures reflect an unprecedented level of voter engagement.
Women voters led participation with a turnout of 93.2%, compared to 91.7% among men. In total, around 6.3 crore votes were cast, higher than the 5.9 crore recorded in the previous election despite a reduced voter base.
Kolkata also saw a sharp rise in turnout, reaching about 88.4%, a significant jump from just over 60% in 2021. Districts like East Burdwan topped the chart with over 93% participation.
Officials attributed the surge to improved security measures, updated voter rolls, and increased accessibility, including polling booths in residential complexes. Security forces will remain deployed until vote counting is completed.
