New Delhi: The Election Commission of India has released detailed data charting the electoral journey of Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and the Union Territory of Puducherry from the first general and Assembly elections after Independence to the Assembly polls held in April and May 2026.
The data highlights a sharp rise in voter strength over the decades, along with consistently high polling participation across these regions.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) released the data under the theme “Chunav Ka Parv, Matdata Ka Garv”, highlighting how the electorate in these four states and the Union Territory has multiplied several times over the decades, while voter turnout has remained among the highest in the country.
Among all the states, West Bengal has recorded the highest latest polling percentage at 93.71 per cent in the Assembly polls, the highest since Independence. The state’s electoral participation graph shows a steady climb from the early decades after Independence, when polling remained below 50 per cent in the 1950s, to consistently crossing the 75 per cent mark from the late 1970s onwards in both the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls. The number of voters in the state has surged from nearly 76 lakh in 1951 to over 6.38 crore ahead of the 2026 Assembly election.
Assam has also shown a remarkable rise in electoral participation in the just-concluded Assembly elections. The latest turnout figure stands at 86.33 per cent. The voter base in the state has expanded sharply from around 24 lakh voters in 1951 to more than 2.16 crore voters in 2026. However, the Election Commission also points to a sharp drop in voters in the 1983 Assembly election, which was held amid the peak of violence in the state. The polling percentage was nearly 32 per cent. Several constituencies had witnessed extremely poor polling, making 1983 one of the most turbulent elections in Assam’s history.
In Tamil Nadu, polling participation has touched 86.03 per cent in the latest trend shown by the Commission. The state’s electorate has grown from nearly 1.59 crore voters in the 1967 election to close to 4.94 crore voters for the 2026 polls. The turnout curve reflects stable and high public participation across successive elections, particularly from the 1970s onwards.
Kerala recorded the latest turnout figure of 79.53 per cent in the April 9 Assembly polls. The state began its electoral journey with around 58 lakh voters in 1957 and has now crossed 2.16 crore electors. Kerala’s polling percentage has largely remained within the high 70s and 80s across decades, reflecting sustained voter engagement.
The Union Territory of Puducherry emerged as another standout performer with a turnout figure of 91.19 per cent. From just over 1.71 lakh voters in 1964, the electorate has expanded to nearly 8.67 lakh voters in 2026. Despite its smaller size, Puducherry has consistently recorded robust participation in Assembly elections.
(IANS)
