West Bengal & Tamil Nadu Elections 2026: High-Stakes Voting Begins Amid Bitter Row Over Voter Roll Deletions

High-Stakes West Bengal and Tamil Nadu Elections Begin Amid Bitter Party War Over Voter Rolls

April 23, 2026 | India Politics | Assembly Elections 2026 | ViralDose

April 23, 2026 will go down as one of the most consequential days in recent Indian electoral history. Two of the country's most politically charged states — West Bengal and Tamil Nadu — went to the polls simultaneously, delivering staggering turnout numbers, dramatic ground-level incidents, and a bitterly contested debate over a single issue that threatened to overshadow everything else: the deletion of crores of names from voter rolls under the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision exercise.

By the time polling ended in the evening, West Bengal had recorded over 91% voter turnout in Phase 1 across 152 constituencies, and Tamil Nadu had smashed its own all-time record with 84.29% turnout across all 234 seats — numbers that the Chief Election Commissioner described as the highest in both states since Independence. But behind those extraordinary figures lay a tense, contentious day that revealed just how deeply divided political India is over what should be the most basic question in a democracy: who gets to vote.

🗳️ The Numbers That Tell the Story

Close to 90 per cent of the 3.60 crore electors turned up to vote in the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly polls till 5 pm. The voter turnout is among the highest in recent electoral history of the state. Polling in 16 districts began at 7 am amid tight security to decide the electoral fate of 1,478 candidates, including 167 women, in 152 constituencies of the 294-strong state Assembly. 

The state recorded 89.93 per cent voter turnout till 5 pm, with the Dakshin Dinajpur district leading with 93.12 per cent polling. With voting slated to continue till 6 pm, political observers said the turnout might cross 95 per cent. 

In Tamil Nadu, the story was equally historic. Tamil Nadu surpassed its highest assembly polls turnout on Thursday, when over 84 per cent of the 5.73 crore voters cast their vote for the elections to 234 constituencies across the state. Till 6 pm, the state recorded 84.29 per cent voting, according to Election Commission of India figures. The state recorded its previous highest — 78.29 per cent — in the 2011 polls that the AIADMK swept. 

The steady climb in West Bengal — from 18.76 per cent in the first two hours to 41.11 per cent by 11 am and 62.18 per cent by 1 pm — underscored a strong voter response across geographies, from the tea gardens of North Bengal to the communally sensitive belts of Murshidabad and the politically volatile Jangalmahal. 

📋 The Controversy at the Heart of It All: The SIR Voter Roll Row

No issue dominated the pre-election period more fiercely — or generated more legal and political heat — than the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. What began as a routine administrative exercise by the Election Commission spiralled into one of the most bitterly contested disputes in recent Indian electoral history, drawing in political parties, the Supreme Court, civil society organisations, and millions of anxious voters who discovered their names had been erased from the voter list.

What Is SIR — and What Did It Do?

The SIR is a large-scale revision process initiated by the Election Commission of India to clean up voter rolls — removing names of deceased voters, duplicate entries, people who have permanently relocated, and — most controversially — alleged illegal migrants. The ECI argues this is a routine but essential mechanism to ensure electoral rolls are accurate and credible.

As per the Election Commission of India, a total of 9,102,577 voters were removed since October 2025 during the entire programme of Special Intensive Revision in West Bengal, shrinking total eligible voters by 11.88% to 67,534,952 compared to 76,637,529 in October 2025. 

In Tamil Nadu, the scale was even more striking. Tamil Nadu saw nearly 74 lakh voter deletions under the SIR exercise. 

The SIR process is not unique to West Bengal. Over the past two years, similar large-scale revisions have been conducted across the country — approximately 18.6 lakh names were removed in Andhra Pradesh, 21.5 lakh in Maharashtra, 5.8 lakh in Haryana, and 9.4 lakh in Odisha. In 2025, the exercise continued with 11.2 lakh deletions in Delhi and a substantial 46 lakh in Bihar. 

Why the Opposition Is Furious

For the ruling TMC in West Bengal and the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu, the SIR is not a cleaning exercise — it is a targeted political weapon.

The AITC said the exercise risked disenfranchising genuine voters, while the Bharatiya Janata Party defended it as a revision of bogus entries and illegal migrants. The issue remains under judicial scrutiny. 

Observers noted that roughly 65% of the undecided group in West Bengal were Muslims, while Dalit Hindus, especially from the Matua community, were also affected in certain districts. 

The pattern of deletions is what has most alarmed critics. In Nandigram, Muslims are about 25 per cent of the population, but 95 per cent of those recommended for deletion are Muslims. That is statistically impossible. In Bhabanipur, where Muslims are 54 per cent, about 76 per cent of deletions are from that community. 

In Tamil Nadu, a resident of Chennai's Mylapore constituency put a face on the statistics. A woman resident alleged she ran pillar to post to find out why her name was deleted from the voter's list though she had completed the formalities linked to SIR of electoral rolls. Her experience was far from unique.

The Supreme Court's Role — and Its Limits

The Supreme Court intervened before election day, invoking extraordinary powers to allow last-minute additions to the voter rolls.

The Supreme Court invoked its special powers under Article 142 of the Indian Constitution — which gives the court the power to do whatever it deems fit in the interest of justice — to allow last-minute insertions into the voter rolls. However, there is a simple law which says that electoral rolls should be frozen on the last day of nomination, which is almost a month before polling. Therefore, it is not legally possible for the Election Commission to add or subtract names after that deadline. 

Critics argued that even with the court's intervention, the practical impact was minimal. The court has effectively put its stamp of approval on the deletion of no less than 27 lakh voters. Whether 27 or even 2,700 names are restored, it makes no difference when 27 lakh people have been excluded. These are cosmetic measures. 

The ECI and its supporters, however, presented a different picture. At its core, the SIR exercise reflects a broader institutional effort to strengthen electoral integrity. In a country with a vast and dynamic population, maintaining accurate voter rolls is a continuous and complex process. The presence of judicial oversight, including interventions by the Supreme Court, ensures that such exercises operate within a framework of accountability and due process. 

🔴 West Bengal Phase 1: Violence, EVMs and a Historic Turnout

Ground-Level Tensions

West Bengal did not vote quietly. The day saw multiple incidents that reflected the raw intensity of this election.

Clashes, allegations of intimidation and attacks on candidates, including on two of the BJP, were reported from several constituencies, prompting the Election Commission to seek detailed reports even as it maintained that polling was "largely peaceful." In Birbhum's Khoyrasol, tension escalated dramatically in the final hours after voters alleged that votes cast in favour of the TMC were being registered for the BJP. This triggered protests, a temporary halt in voting and clashes between locals and security personnel. 

In Khairasol Ghumar village of Dubrajpur in Birbhum district, a crowd pelted stones at CRPF personnel deployed at the polling site. 

BJP candidate from Kumarganj, Subhendu Sarkar, alleged that polling agents in 8–10 polling stations were forcibly removed. He said that when he visited Booth No. 24 to inspect the situation, his team and he were attacked, alleging an attempt to create an atmosphere of intimidation and fear. 

The Security Blanket

Despite the incidents, election officials pointed to the scale of the security deployment as unprecedented. A record 2,450 companies of central paramilitary forces — nearly 2.5 lakh personnel — were deployed across the state, with over 8,000 polling stations identified as highly sensitive.

BJP's Bold Prediction

As polls closed, the Leader of Opposition made a confident statement. Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari predicted that the saffron party will win 125 of the 152 seats that went to polls in the first phase of the West Bengal elections, citing the high voter turnout of 91.78 per cent. 

The TMC dismissed such projections. Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that she is not interested in any post but only wants the end of the BJP government at the Centre. 

District-by-District Turnout (Till 5 PM)

District-wise data showed Dakshin Dinajpur recording the highest turnout of over 93 per cent, followed by Murshidabad at around 91 per cent, and Bankura and Cooch Behar, 92 per cent each. The voter turnout was around 90 per cent in Malda, Jhargram and Paschim Medinipur, while Kalimpong recorded around 81 per cent polling. 

🟡 Tamil Nadu: Historic Day, Three-Way Battle, EVM Glitches

A Record-Shattering Turnout

Tamil Nadu delivered a number that stunned political analysts. Tamil Nadu surpassed its highest assembly polls turnout, recording 84.29 per cent voting till 6 pm — smashing the previous record of 78.29 per cent set in 2011. 

Chennai registered 83.09 per cent polling, while in Madurai it was 80.15 per cent, Coimbatore saw 84.40 per cent, and Tiruchirappalli district witnessed 85.04 per cent polling. Kolathur Assembly constituency, where DMK President and Chief Minister MK Stalin is contesting, saw 85.63 per cent polling. 

Celebrities, Voters and Special Moments

The day produced memorable images across Tamil Nadu. An 85-year-old man, Chandharan, arrived on a wheelchair to cast his vote at St Francis Xavier's Middle School in Chennai.  Rajinikanth cast his ballot. Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin voted. Newly married couples arrived at polling booths in their traditional wedding attire across Chennai, Kanchipuram, Namakkal, and Krishnagiri.

Special arrangements in the Srirangam Assembly constituency enabled visually impaired voters to take part in polling with greater independence. EVMs fitted with Braille features allowed voters to navigate the process on their own. 

The Three-Way Contest: DMK vs AIADMK-NDA vs TVK

Tamil Nadu's election is unlike any in recent memory because of three distinct and competing forces.

The DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance — which includes the Congress, DMDK, and VCK — is led by Chief Minister MK Stalin, who is pitching a "Dravidian Model 2.0" platform built on welfare, Tamil identity, and federal rights.

The AIADMK-led NDA — with BJP and PMK as key allies — is fighting for a comeback, hammering the ruling DMK on corruption, employment, and what they describe as broken promises.

And then there is Vijay. TVK founder Vijay, who is contesting from Perambur and Tiruchirappalli East constituencies in his electoral debut, took a swipe at Palaniswami wondering if the former Chief Minister could contest and win from any constituency outside his home district of Salem. 

Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary MA Baby warned that TVK's leadership style sends the wrong signals to the democratic process, adding that it remained unclear whether crowds would translate into votes. 

EVM Row and a TVK Supporter's Arrest

At Tirupattur, a TVK supporter allegedly filmed himself pressing the button in an EVM favouring Vijay's party and released it on social media. He was arrested by police.

In Murshidabad's Raghunathganj Girl's School booth, voting was delayed after an EVM malfunction, with voters expressing anger over the absence of a replacement machine. A similar glitch was reported earlier at Booth 295 in Tamil Nadu's Duvipuram due to a control unit malfunction. 

📊 The Big Picture: What These Elections Decide

West Bengal — Can TMC Win a Fourth Term?

No party has won four consecutive terms in West Bengal's post-Independence history. Mamata Banerjee's TMC, which swept 215 of 294 seats in 2021, is attempting that historic feat. The BJP — which won 77 seats in 2021 after a massive surge — is fighting to translate its national momentum into state-level power. Phase 2 on April 29 will cover the remaining 142 seats including Kolkata.

Tamil Nadu — The Vijay Factor and the Return of AIADMK?

Tamil Nadu has alternated between DMK and AIADMK with remarkable regularity over the past five decades. The DMK breaking that cycle in 2021 was itself historic. Whether they can do it again — while fighting off a newly energised AIADMK-NDA alliance AND a wild-card TVK debut — is the central question that May 4 will answer.

📅 Key Dates

💬 The Bottom Line

Two states. Two historic turnouts. One massive controversy. The SIR voter roll row has cast a long shadow over what would otherwise be a clean celebration of Indian democracy's extraordinary participation numbers. Whether those deletions ultimately affected the outcome — or whether the parties' claims of disenfranchisement hold up when results arrive on May 4 — remains to be seen.

What is beyond dispute is this: when given the chance to vote, Indians do. In extraordinary numbers, in extraordinary heat, on extraordinary days like this one.

The real verdict comes on May 4.