Huge Turnout in West Bengal certainly - but segments with large Muslim population also voted overwhelmingly

 Murshidabad, where Muslims make up over 66 per cent of the population, is perhaps the most closely watched district in this belt. In 2021, the TMC won 20 of its 22 seats.

Women Polling personnel at Basirhat Dakshin , North 24 Parganas 

Turnout here has surged sharply. Raghunathganj recorded the highest jump in the entire belt, up 20.5 percentage points from 2021. It was up by 17.9 points in Jangipur, 16.4 points in Sagardighi, 16 percentage points in Samserganj, and 14.5 points in Suti. 

Every seat in the district registered an increase in voter turnout.

The recently concluded Assembly elections in West Bengal witnessed a dramatic surge in voter turnout, crossing the 90 per cent mark for the first time in the state’s electoral history. In the 85 Muslim-dominated constituencies, the spike was even more pronounced, rising by 2 to 20 percentage points.

These 85 seats fall in districts where Muslims make up over 35 per cent of the population. For decades, this belt was dominated by the Congress and the Left. However, in the 2021 Assembly elections, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) won 75 of these 85 seats, signalling a consolidation of minority votes in its favour. 

The Congress and the Left were nearly wiped out, while the BJP emerged as the only significant challenger, winning most of the remaining seats.  

Birbhum is often associated with TMC strongman and district president Anubrata Mondal. The district also saw steady turnout increases. It rose by 13.3 percentage points in Murarai, 11 points in Rampurhat, 10.7 points in Nalhati, and 10.5 points in Suri. Labpur and Mayureswar recorded smaller but still positive gains. All 11 seats in Birbhum registered increases.

Malda and Uttar Dinajpur were once Congress strongholds before the TMC swept through in 2021. Now, with Mausam Noor back in the fray in Malatipur and the Congress contesting independently, these districts are being closely watched.

In Malda district, voter turnout jumped by 16.2 percentage points in Ratua, 15.3 points in Chanchal, 14.7 points in Malatipur, and 14.1 percentage points in Habibpur. Not a single seat recorded a single-digit increase.

In Uttar Dinajpur, Goalpokhar saw the second-highest jump in the entire belt at 19.7 points. It rose by 17.5 percentage points in Chakulia, 13.9 points in Islampur, and 13.4 points in Karandighi. All nine seats in the district recorded increases of over 10 percentage points.

Murshidabad and Malda were among the top districts in terms of SIR voter deletions. Murshidabad recorded 4,55,137 deletions, while Malda saw 2,39,375 names removed. Despite this, turnout remained extremely strong, with many seats recording over 90 per cent voting.  

Poll officials at Barasat , North 24 Parganas .

South 24 Parganas, which has 31 seats, recorded some of the biggest increases. In Metiaburuz, for instance, turnout jumped by 18 percentage points, while Kasba saw a rise of 17.2 points.

Kudos to the Election Commission of India for prioritizing voter comfort. The entire process was efficient and completely hassle-free. Great to see such voter-friendly services in action!

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