“Happy to see no violence”: Supreme Court praises peaceful Bengal polls, record turnout

The Supreme Court of India on Friday praised the peaceful conduct of polling in West Bengal during the first phase of the Assembly elections, highlighting the record voter turnout of 92.88 percent. While hearing a plea related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), the court expressed satisfaction that voting concluded without violence and described the high participation as a strong reflection of democratic engagement.

Chief Justice Surya Kant remarked that the turnout was encouraging, stating that when citizens actively exercise their right to vote, it strengthens the democratic framework. The observation came after the court was informed about the unprecedented participation, which marked the highest voter turnout in the state since Independence, surpassing the previous record of 84.72 percent in 2011.

During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta also termed the turnout “historic” and noted that polling remained largely peaceful with only isolated incidents. Justice Joymalya Bagchi added a cautionary note, observing that while political conflicts may occur, it is ordinary citizens who ultimately bear the consequences of violence, underscoring the importance of maintaining peace during elections.

Data indicated significant participation across demographics, with women voters outnumbering men. Female turnout stood at 92.69 percent compared to 90.92 percent among male voters, while participation among third-gender voters was recorded at 56.79 percent. Election authorities attributed the surge to voter-friendly measures such as improved voter information systems, reduced congestion at booths and enhanced assistance for persons with disabilities.

In the same proceedings, the court declined to entertain petitions filed by individuals, including several election duty officers, whose names were removed from the electoral rolls following the SIR process. The bench directed them to approach the appellate tribunals constituted for addressing such grievances, clarifying that pending appeals would not automatically grant the right to vote in the ongoing elections.