Counting of votes in the two states will be held on May 4.
Chennai: Voting for the crucial West Bengal and Tamil Nadu assembly elections 2026 was underway on Thursday, with actors, politicians, and other voters queuing up to exercise their franchise. While West Bengal was voting for the first of the two phases, polling for the Tamil Nadu assembly election was being conducted in a single phase.
Tamil Nadu recorded a voter turnout of 70 per cent as of 3:00 pm, according to the Election Commission. Chennai logged 68.13 per cent polling. Among constituencies, Kumarapalayam-97 in Namakkal district reported the highest turnout at 80.67 per cent, while Palayamkottai in Tirunelveli district recorded the lowest at 56.15 per cent.
A voter turnout of 79% was recorded till 3 pm on the first phase of the West Bengal election on Thursday, as per the Election Commission of India. Out of the total 294 assembly constituencies, 152 are casting their votes today.
Actor and TVK President Vijay votes at Neelankarai Municipal Primary School in Chennai. (Photo courtesy: X@TVKVijayHQ)
The poll battle in West Bengal continued to be charged as PM Narendra Modi took potshots at TMC while speaking at a rally in Nadia. He said that this time, people of Bengal are so angry with the Trinamool Congress that the Mamata Banerjee-led party may not be able to open their accounts in many cities.
The TMC and AUJP workers clashed with each other after a blast injured several people in Nowda of Murshidabad district earlier on Thursday. West Bengal polls are underway in the state, with the first phase taking place currently across 152 seats in 16 districts. In another video, AUJP chief Humayun Kabir was also seen fighting with the workers from TMC.
Security personnel were deployed to control the situation as tensions escalated between party workers and police during the polling process. EVM glitches also disrupted voting at a few places in West Bengal on Thursday, news agency PTI reported, citing officials
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has been in focus all throughout the campaigning in West Bengal. The process reportedly led to the deletion of over 60 lakh to 90 lakh names, reducing the voter base from around 7.66 crore to 7.04 crore.
ECI seizes over Rs 1,000 cr in TN, BengalThe Election Commission of India (ECI) announced that it has seized more than Rs 1,000 crore worth of cash, liquor, drugs, precious metals, and other items from Tamil Nadu and West Bengal ahead of the 2026 general elections. The Commission issued strict directions to state and union territory governments, making it clear that violations of the Model Code of Conduct would not be tolerated under any circumstances. In Tamil Nadu, the highest amount of cash seized stands at Rs. 100 crore, while in West Bengal, nearly 3.9 million litres of liquor have been confiscated. Beyond cash and liquor, the combined value of drugs, gold, silver, and other items allegedly meant for free distribution to voters has reached Rs. 1,072.13 crore. |
