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April 30, 2026e-Paper

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A SIR-marred turnout in West Bengal

In absolute terms, the increase in voter turnout in the eastern State was lowest among recent electoral cycles

Updated - April 30, 2026 10:15 am IST

Devyanshi Bihani,Pon Vasanth B.A,Sambavi Parthasarathy
Voters queue up as they wait to cast their votes during the second phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections 2026, on Wednesday.

Voters queue up as they wait to cast their votes during the second phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections 2026, on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: ANI

West Bengal, where the assembly polls concluded on Wednesday, recorded a voter turnout of close to 92%, the highest in the State’s electoral history according to provisional figures released by the ECI. However, as seen recently in Tamil Nadu, the record turnout was not driven by a sharp increase in voter participation, but by the low base effect of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls shrinking the size of the State’s electorate. 

The SIR exercise, which happened in a highly controversial manner in West Bengal, brought down the electorate by nearly 11% from 7.66 crore to 6.26 crore. 

Published - April 30, 2026 08:00 am IST

Related Topics

Data Point / West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026 / Bengal / Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls / election / voting

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