West Bengal Phase 1 Polls: 41.11% Voter Turnout Till 11 AM, Paschim Medinipur Leads As EVM Glitches Reported

West Bengal witnessed steady voter participation in the first phase of the Assembly elections, with 41.11% turnout recorded till 11 AM.

Polling is underway across 152 constituencies, and early trends suggest active voter engagement despite minor disruptions.

Steady Voting Across Districts

The voting process began smoothly in most areas, with people lining up early at polling booths. Among the districts, Paschim Medinipur recorded the highest turnout at 44.69%, showing strong participation from voters.

On the other hand, Malda reported the lowest turnout at 38.22% during the same period. Other districts showed moderate and steady polling percentages, reflecting a balanced voter response across the state.

District-Wise Voter Turnout Till 11 AM

Here is a detailed look at voter turnout across districts:

• Alipurduar - 38.80%
• Bankura - 43.22%
• Birbhum - 41.92%
• Cooch Behar - 38.67%
• Dakshin Dinajpur - 41.17%
• Darjeeling - 39.51%
• Jalpaiguri - 39.51%
• Jhargram - 43.71%
• Kalimpong - 39.61%
• Malda - 38.22%
• Murshidabad - 41.59%
• Paschim Bardhaman - 40.24%
• Paschim Medinipur - 44.69%
• Purbo Medinipur - 42.16%
• Purulia - 39.16%
• Uttar Dinajpur - 39.04%

These numbers indicate a healthy start to polling, with most districts crossing the 39-44% range within the first few hours.

EVM Glitches Reported in Some Areas

Despite the overall smooth polling process, Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) glitches were reported in parts of Murshidabad and Medinipur districts. These technical issues caused temporary delays in voting at a few booths.

Election officials responded quickly, and necessary steps were taken to fix the machines or replace them to ensure that voting could continue without major disruption.

Voters Turn Out in Large Numbers

Many polling stations saw long queues of voters from early morning. People from different age groups, including first-time voters and elderly citizens, came out to cast their votes.
The steady turnout reflects the importance of this election, which is being closely watched due to the intense political contest in the state.