One hundred and fifty-two constituencies across 16 districts voted in the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly polls on April 23. In 54 of these seats, spread across the Muslim population is quite sizeable.
These seats, which are spread across the Murshidabad, Malda, Uttar Dinajpur, and Birbhum districts, overwhelmingly voted for the Trinamool Congress in 2021 — it won in 49 compared to just five for the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The big surge
Five of these constituencies saw a very sharp rise in turnout from 2021. Raghunathganj in Murshidabad had the biggest jump, going from 76.4 to 96.9 per cent. Jangipur, also in Murshidabad, increased from 77.8 to 95.7 per cent. Goalpokhar in Uttar Dinajpur rose from 71.9 to 91.7 per cent. Sagardighi and Samserganj, both in Murshidabad, also saw strong increases, with turnout crossing 95 per cent this year.
A similar trend was observed in Malda. Almost all Muslim-majority seats saw strong turnout, mostly between 92 and 95 per cent. Seats like Chanchal (+15.3 per cent), Ratua (+16.2 per cent), Malatipur (+14.7 per cent), and Habibpur (+14.1 per cent) recorded large increases compared to 2021. Seats like English Bazar, Gazole, and Manikchak also saw double-digit jumps. In Birbhum, seats like Murarai (+13.3 per cent) and Rampurhat (+11 per cent) saw double-digit jumps.
Interestingly, Murshidabad and Malda were among the top districts in terms of SIR voter deletions. Murshidabad recorded 4,55,137 deletions, while Malda saw 2,39,375 names removed. Despite this, turnout remained extremely strong, with many seats recording over 90 per cent voting.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the high turnout signals a “regime change”, claiming it reflects voters wanting an end to the TMC’s rule. The incumbent, on the other hand, sees high Muslim turnout as a validation of Mamata Banerjee’s governance and her outreach to minority communities.
The Indian Secular Front, led by Nawsad Siddique, is also in the contest in some of these seats. But its footprint remains limited outside South 24 Parganas.
Results will be declared on May 4.
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