CEC hails West Bengal and Tamil Nadu for highest ever voter turnout since independence
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar hailed the voters of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu on Thursday (April 23, 2026) for recording the highest ever polling percentage since independence.
While Tamil Nadu recorded 84.69% polling percentage, West Bengal (Phase-I) registered 91.78%. Previously, the highest poll participation in Tamil Nadu was 78.29% in 2011, and in the same year West Bengal recorded 84.72%.
CEC Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Dr. S. S. Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi, kept a close watch on the polling via live webcasting which was available in 100% of polling stations in both states, the ECI said.
“Highest ever percentage of polling in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu since Independence — ECI salutes every voter in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu,” Mr. Kumar said.
Several new voter-friendly initiatives were implemented, including easily identifiable colour photos of candidates on EVM ballot papers, Mobile Deposit Facility (MDF), newly designed Voter Information Slips (VIS) for easy readability, and a limit of 1,200 voters per polling station.
Wheelchairs and volunteers, as well as transport to polling stations, were made available to the PwD voters, the ECI statement said.
