Its raining votes in Bengal as more than 62% cast their franchise by 1:00 pm, Medinipur leads with over 65% turnout

West Bengal recorded a massive 62.18% approximate voter turnout by 1 PM during the first phase of the 2026 Assembly elections. Despite the sweltering heat and reports of sporadic violence in districts like Kumarganj and Nandigram, voters turned out in large numbers across North and South Bengal. The Election Commission's real-time monitoring data indicates that the state is on track for a potentially record-breaking overall participation rate as polling continues through the afternoon.

Among the districts voting in this phase, Paschim Medinipur led the charts with a robust 65.77% turnout, closely followed by Jhargram at 65.31% and Bankura at 64.58%. In contrast, the hill districts of Kalimpong and Darjeeling saw slightly lower, yet significant, participation rates at 59.52% and 59.81%, respectively. Malda currently sits at the bottom of the mid-day trend with 58.45% polling, though queues remain long at most booths.

The high turnout comes amidst an intense political atmosphere where both the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have deployed heavyweights to secure their strongholds. While the BJP has highlighted the high numbers as a sign of "pro-incumbency" or "change," the TMC has credited its social welfare schemes for the enthusiastic participation of women and rural voters. Central forces remain on high alert to maintain the momentum of peaceful polling in the remaining hours.