Bengal Phase One Turnout Nears 90%
West Bengal recorded brisk polling in the first phase of the 2026 Assembly election, with voter turnout touching nearly 90% by 5 pm and Dakshin Dinajpur emerging as the district with the highest participation. Long queues were seen at several booths through the day, pointing to strong voter engagement in this opening round of the election.
West Bengal Phase One Voter Turnout Nears 90%
Election authorities said turnout reached 89.93% by 5 pm in the first phase of polling. The strong participation made the first round one of the most closely watched stages of the Bengal election, especially as key districts saw heavy footfall from the morning itself.
The high turnout reflected intense political mobilisation across constituencies voting in phase one. Polling stations in several areas remained crowded through the day as voters turned up in large numbers to cast their ballots.
Dakshin Dinajpur Records Highest Voter Participation
Among the districts in this phase, Dakshin Dinajpur reported the highest turnout at 93.12%. The district saw sustained polling activity, although there were also brief moments of tension during the day.
Purba Medinipur also drew attention, with Nandigram witnessing long queues from early morning. The strong turnout in these politically sensitive areas is likely to be read closely by all major parties as the election moves into the next phases.
Bengal Polling Day Sees Tight Security
Security arrangements remained strong across polling stations during the day, with personnel deployed to maintain order and monitor any disruption. In Dakshin Dinajpur, BJP candidate Suvendu Sarkar was allegedly manhandled while heading to a polling booth after reports of disturbance surfaced.
Despite isolated tension, polling largely continued under security watch across the districts. The first phase has now set an energetic tone for the rest of the West Bengal Assembly election, where turnout and local incidents will both remain under close scrutiny.
