West Bengal's first phase of assembly elections has seen an unusual trend in voter turnout. According to preliminary calculations, 10 out of 152 assembly constituencies (ACs) have witnessed an absolute decline in voter turnout compared to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The 10 ACs are: Matigara-Naxalbari, Phansidewa, and Siliguri in Darjeeling district; Dabgram-Phulbari in Jalpaiguri district; English Bazar in Malda; Bhagabangola, Farakka, Lalgola, and Samserganj in Murshidabad; and Kharagpur Sadar in Paschim Medinipur.
Among these, Samserganj has seen the largest decline in absolute turnout, with a drop of 18.9%. This is more than the victory margin of the 2024 Lok Sabha election in this AC, which was led by the Congress.
Four of these ACs - Samserganj, Lalgola, Bhagabangola, and Farakka - have elected a Muslim MLA in every assembly election between 2011 and 2021. Five of them are in districts with a Muslim population share of more than 50% or more according to the 2011 census data.
However, it's essential to note that these numbers must be read with caution. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has only published the percentage turnout for the 2026 elections, and HT's calculations may lead to minor errors.
