West Bengal's first phase of Assembly elections on April 23, 2025 recorded a remarkably high voter turnout of 78.77% by 3 PM across 152 Assembly constituencies, defying historical trends of sluggish mid-afternoon polling. The surge — rising from 62.18% at 1 PM to nearly 79% within just two hours — has surprised poll observers and political analysts alike, signalling unprecedented civic engagement despite scorching summer heat.

Record Voter Turnout Defies Summer Heat

Typically, voter participation in West Bengal dips sharply between 1 PM and 3 PM due to intense afternoon heat and humidity. However, this election broke that pattern decisively, with a 16.59 percentage point jump recorded in just two hours — a figure poll observers describe as highly unusual for this time of day and season.

If the voting momentum sustained through the remaining three hours until polls closed at 6 PM, political observers projected the final turnout could surpass 90% — a milestone not achieved in West Bengal in recent electoral history. For context, the state's average polling percentage across all seven phases of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections stood at just 63.92%.

Assembly and District-Wise Breakdown

Among individual constituencies, Samserganj in Murshidabad district led all Assembly segments with the highest turnout of 87.53% by 3 PM. At the district level, South Dinajpur topped the chart with 81.49% polling recorded by the same time.

The lowest voter turnout was reported from the hill district of Kalimpong, which recorded 74.07% — still a relatively high figure compared to national averages in similar geographies.

Congress Alleges Booth-Grabbing in Murshidabad

Amid the high turnout, political tensions surfaced in Murshidabad district, where the Indian National Congress raised serious allegations of electoral malpractice. Congress leaders accused Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers of booth-grabbing and tampering with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in both the Bharatpur and Berhampur Assembly constituencies.

Congress leader Niloy Pramanik formally submitted a written complaint to Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal, Manoj Agarwal, seeking urgent intervention and action against the alleged irregularities.

Violence Erupts in Birbhum After EVM Malfunction

Tension escalated in Dubrajpur, Birbhum district, after an EVM malfunction at one polling booth caused a 30-minute halt in the voting process. The disruption triggered protests among waiting voters, which quickly turned violent.

Clashes broke out between agitated voters and central security forces deployed at the location. A police vehicle was vandalised during the unrest, and a section of the crowd attempted to hurl bricks at security personnel. Several jawans sustained injuries in the confrontation before order was restored.

As West Bengal's first phase concludes, all eyes will now turn to the final voter turnout figures, the Election Commission's response to the Congress complaints, and whether the reported incidents of violence and EVM malfunction affect the credibility of results in the affected constituencies.