Voter turnout reached 78.77% in West Bengal and 70% in Tamil Nadu as of 3 p.m. during ongoing Assembly elections, with strong public participation, long queues at booths, and hundreds of complaints filed with the Election Commission amid multi-phase polling
West Bengal recorded 62.18 per cent voter turnout in the first six hours of the first phase of Assembly polls. While polling remained strong, incidents of violence and a heatstroke death were reported, with leaders expressing optimism over high participation
Polling in Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry witnessed strong voter turnout under peaceful conditions, with Puducherry recording the highest participation at 89.08 per cent. Assam saw enthusiastic rural and tribal participation, Kerala maintained disciplined polling, and Puducherry showcased innovative voter engagement with a robot greeting electors.
By 9 am, Jubilee Hills by-election recorded 9.2 per cent voter turnout, with numbers picking up slightly after two hours. District Election Officer R.V. Karnan inspected multiple polling stations to ensure smooth arrangements and orderly voting.
Continuing the string of low polling percentages in the district, Hyderabad recorded 47.88 per cent polling on Thursday, with only 6 out of 15 constituencies crossing the 50 per cent mark.
