The BRICS TimesIndia’s 2026 assembly elections kick off with jaw-dropping voter participation. West Bengal sets a new all-time record at 91.78%, while Tamil Nadu surpasses its previous best. The BJP goes all out to dislodge Mamata Banerjee’s TMC and expand its southern footprint, as the SIR row over electoral rolls continues to cast a long shadow.
Voters turn out in record numbers across Bengal and Tamil Nadu
India’s 2026 assembly elections opened with a thunderous democratic statement on April 23. West Bengal clocked nearly 92% voter turnout in Phase 1 of its assembly polls. Tamil Nadu simultaneously recorded an unprecedented 85%-plus participation across its 234 constituencies. Both figures represent the highest voter turnout for these states since Independence, according to the Election Commission. The BJP went into full campaign mode to dislodge Mamata Banerjee in Bengal. It also pushed hard to make electoral gains in Tamil Nadu.
Bengal’s Phase 1 shatters all previous records
West Bengal’s Phase 1 covered 152 constituencies spread across 16 districts. Long queues appeared at polling booths across the state, especially in rural belts. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar confirmed that 91.78% turnout made it Bengal’s “highest-ever percentage since Independence.” Compared to 2021 assembly elections, turnout then ranged between 79% and 86% across phases. This year’s number marks a sharp jump, even though the electorate size itself shrank due to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The SIR process deleted over 91 lakh names statewide. That deletion created major political controversy and became a central campaign flashpoint.
SIR controversy looms large over Phase 1
The Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls has been a massive flashpoint in this election cycle. The BJP and opposition parties, including the Trinamool Congress, have clashed bitterly over the exercise. The electorate size dropped from 6.41 crore in October 2025 to 5.73 crore currently. This means 56 lakh fewer voters than in the 2021 polls. Critics say the deletions disproportionately affected certain communities. Supporters argue the SIR cleaned up bogus and duplicate entries.
Modi calls turnout a mandate for change, Mamata predicts TMC victory
Prime Minister Narendra Modi interpreted the massive turnout as a clear signal. He called it “an overwhelming mandate for change” in Bengal. Modi declared that May 4, counting day, would mark the “expiry” of the “TMC’s 15-year-old syndicate system and maha jungle raj” in West Bengal. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee pushed back firmly. She asserted that polling trends in Phase 1 show “the TMC is already in a position to win.” Her party predicted victories in 125 to 134 of the 152 seats that voted in Phase 1. In the 2021 elections, the BJP had won 59 of these 152 seats, while the TMC bagged 93.
Violence and security shadow Bengal’s polling day
The massive participation did not come without tensions. Sporadic incidents of violence were reported from several constituencies. Two BJP candidates were reportedly attacked. The Election Commission sought detailed reports on clashes and allegations of intimidation. A record 2,450 central paramilitary companies, totalling nearly 2.5 lakh personnel, were deployed across West Bengal. Over 8,000 polling stations were identified as highly sensitive. Union Home Minister Amit Shah personally camped in the state. He visited the BJP’s election control room at Salt Lake and reviewed the situation with party leaders. Shah is expected to remain in the state until April 27, the last day of Phase 2 campaigning.
Tamil Nadu breaks its own voter participation record
Tamil Nadu saw all 234 assembly constituencies vote in a single phase. The state posted its highest-ever voter turnout of over 85%. The previous best stood at 78.29% during the 2011 assembly polls, which the AIADMK swept comprehensively. In the 2021 elections, Tamil Nadu had recorded 73.63% voting. This year’s surge is striking by any measure. The state’s electorate also shrank under the SIR exercise, falling from 6.41 crore to 5.73 crore. A three-cornered fight shaped the Tamil Nadu contest. The ruling DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance took on the AIADMK-led NDA. Actor-politician Vijay’s TVK and Seeman-led NTK added competitive heat to the battle.
DMK vs AIADMK headlining Tamil Nadu’s high-stakes contest
Chief Minister M K Stalin kept his campaign centred on the “Dravidian Model” of governance. He accused the AIADMK of functioning as a puppet of the BJP in Delhi. AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami campaigned hard to reclaim the treasury benches after five years in opposition. BJP leader Narayanan Thirupathy credited the Election Commission’s SIR reforms for the surge in participation. “The full credit to SIR. Hats off to the Election Commission. We have seen in Bihar, Assam, West Bengal, Kerala and now Pondicherry and now in Tamil Nadu. So, full credit to them,” Thirupathy told PTI Videos. He added that those who once opposed SIR reforms should feel “ashamed” given the strong voter response.
Counting set for May 4 across five states and one UT
West Bengal’s Phase 2 will cover the remaining 142 of 294 seats on April 29. All five states Kerala, Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry will count votes on May 4. The results will determine whether the BJP can dent Mamata Banerjee’s grip on Bengal. They will also show whether the saffron party can break into Tamil Nadu’s Dravidian stronghold.
