The first phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections concluded on Thursday with an extraordinary voter turnout of approximately 90%. Spanning 152 constituencies across 16 districts, the election saw citizens participate in massive numbers, with officials estimating that the final figure could exceed 92% once those in queues at closing time finished voting. Murshidabad district led the charts with a 91.36% turnout, while districts like Bankura and Jhargram also saw overwhelming participation, surpassing the engagement levels of the 2021 elections.
Despite the high democratic participation, the day was overshadowed by severe violence in several regions. In the Kumarganj constituency of South Dinajpur, TMC workers reportedly launched a coordinated attack on BJP candidate Suvendu Sarkar, forcing him to flee through open fields to save his life. His vehicle was subsequently vandalized. Clashes were also reported in Murshidabad, where police were forced to use lathi charges following bomb attacks between rival party workers. In Birbhum, a BJP agent reportedly sustained a serious head injury during an assault, leading to high tensions throughout the phase.
The electoral fate of several political heavyweights, including Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram and Dilip Ghosh in Kharagpur, is now sealed in the EVMs. While the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC is determined to protect its stronghold, the BJP remains optimistic that the surge in voter turnout will swing the results in its favor. As the state prepares for the second phase of polling for the remaining 142 seats on April 29, the Election Commission has decided to further tighten security to prevent a recurrence of the violence witnessed during the initial phase. The final results are scheduled to be announced on May 4.
