Kolkata: West Bengal voters have set a significant participation benchmark today, April 23, 2026, with a record 89.93 percent voter turnout recorded till 5:00 PM in the first phase of the Assembly elections. The polling, which began at 7:00 AM, is being conducted across 152 constituencies spread over 16 districts, including high-stakes regions in both North and South Bengal. Districts such as Dakshin Dinajpur and Paschim Medinipur led the surge early in the day, with almost all polling districts maintaining a turnout rate well above 75% by the late afternoon.
The first phase of the election involves approximately 3.6 crore eligible voters deciding the fate of 1,478 candidates. To ensure a peaceful process, the Election Commission of India has implemented 100% webcasting across all 44,376 polling stations, supported by AI-enabled surveillance to detect irregularities. Despite the high turnout, the day was marked by sporadic incidents of unrest, including a crude bomb blast in Murshidabad’s Nowda and reports of stone-pelting on candidate vehicles in Asansol. However, security forces intervened promptly in most cases to restore order and allow the democratic process to continue.
This phase is considered a critical bellwether for the overall election, featuring key contests in constituencies like Nandigram, Baharampur, and Siliguri. With Phase 1 concluded, the political focus will now shift toward the remaining 142 seats scheduled for the second phase on April 29. The final counting of votes for all 294 seats in the West Bengal Assembly is slated for May 4, 2026.
