Impressive voter turnout in high-stakes assembly elections, highest in Assam

Polling concluded in four states and union territory of Puducherry on Tuesday on the most important day of assembly elections. While this marks the end of election in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry, for West Bengal this was third of the eight phases.

The voting was conducted amid tight security and adherence to coronavirus disease (Covid-19) protocol. After Bihar polls last year, this was the second major electoral exercise held during the Covid-19 pandemic.

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All the states recorded impressive turnouts as the polling ended. The highest voting percentage of 82.39 was recorded in Assam where the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is seeking to make a comeback. In other states, Kerala recorded a voter turnout of 72.65%, Tamil Nadu 70.78% and Puducherry 81.66%.

West Bengal, where the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has been challenged by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), recorded 77.68 per cent turnout.

All these figures are provisional as the votes are still being counted. The final voter turnout will be released by the Election Commission of India (ECI) later.

While announcing the election schedule on February 26, the ECI said elaborate arrangements had been made to conduct the exercise in a safe manner. The number of polling booths and phases were increased in order to ensure Covid-19 protocols are followed, the ECI said. It also gave extra hour (after the schedule ending of polling) to Covid-19 patients who wanted to cast their votes.

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In West Bengal, voting for 31 assembly constituencies in three districts - Hooghly (8), Howrah (7) and South 24 Parganas (16) - was held in this phase. As many as 78,52,425 electors exercised their franchise in phase 3 and sealed the fates of 205 candidates in the fray.

Assam's 79,19,641 electors voted in this phase to decide the fate of 337 candidates across 40 constituencies of 12 districts.

In Kerala, the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) is hoping to beat anti-incumbency to retain power, a feat unseen in four decades, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is making efforts to build inroads. The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) is banking on the traditional trend popular in Kerala of alternating the power between the two fronts.

Elections for Tamil Nadu's 234 assembly constituencies in 38 districts were held in a single phase on Tuesday in which 6,28,23,749 electors cast their votes. The main fight is between Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), which is contesting the polls along with BJP. Both DMK leader MK Stalin and AIADMK's chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami fought the election without the presence of their respective leaders and political stalwarts M Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa.

Meanwhile, as many as 30 constituencies across the Union territory of Puducherry voted to pick out of the total 324 candidates in the battlefield. A total of 10,04,507 electors exercised their franchise in the polls.

Results for all four states and Puducherry will be announced on May 2.