Bengal voter turnout swings from 86% to 77%

KOLKATA: Even as voting percentages in Bengal swung from 86.1% in the second phase to the lowest 76.9% in seventh phase, initial reports indicated that the average 81.8% turnout in the 2021 Bengal assembly polls has been a shade lower than 2011 and 2016. In 2019 Lok Sabha, the voter turnout was 81.9%.
On Thursday, during Phase eight, there was 78.3% polling — a dipping trend which was visible in the last two phases and whenever polling was held in urban belts hemming Kolkata.
The first and third phases had identical figures of 84.6%.
The fourth phase also had a low rate of polling as parts of Kolkata — Behala East and Behala West, Kasba, Jadavpur, Tollygunge, Sonarpur East and West along with Metiabruz and Mahestala voters went to the booths. The turnout was around 77.2% in Kolkata and its southern suburbs.
Experts said that Covid fears had forced people to stay indoors and with the passing of time and with subsequent phases the turnout in Kolkata and the urban parts had reduced considerably. Polling for Kolkata South was on April 26, there was a turnout rate of 61.7%, with Ballygunge recording 61%. The figure was 63.8% in 2016 assembly polls and in 2019 LS polls it was 66.2%. But it was not the same in rural Bengal as in most districts it was around 80%-plus voting.
However, Rashbehari recorded the lowest turnout with 59.8% which was 67.1% in 2016. Even during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls Rashbehari recorded 66.9% polling. Bhowanipore recorded 66.8% both in 2016 and the 2019 LS polls, but this time it was a bit low with 61.3%. Port recorded 64.4% turnout this time which is one per cent rise, as in 2016 it was 63.4%. Though, the figure was 64.2% in 2019 LS polls.
Kolkata North recorded a further slide in polling percentage as on Thursday it recorded 59.4%. Jorasanko had the least turnout — 49.8% — which was almost nine per cent higher in 2016. Chowringhee, which is known for low turnout, also had 53.3% polling in comparison to 56.2% polling in 2016. Cossipore-Belgachhia also had a low turnout with 59.5% which was 64.8% in 2016. Shyampukur recorded 57.7% turnout.
Even in urban Howrah, the voting rate was low as it recorded 77.2% polling, with Bally recording the lowest — 71.3% polling.
Among the north Bengal districts, Cooch Behar had a high turnout with 84.7% in Phase four followed by Alipurduar (82.5%). Jalpaiguri had a high turnout with 84.8% in Phase five.
However, Birbhum had a high rate of polling in the Phase eight in all the 11 seats with 84 % followed by Malda where polling was held for six seats and the turnout was 81%. Murshidabad recorded 81% polling as polling was held in 11 seats.
Poll analysts felt that due to the on-going violence in the Barrackpore belt the turnout was comparatively low as in Kamarhati it was 72.8% and in Baranagar it was 72.9%. Barrackpore recorded only 68.4% polling.
Among the seats with high turnout are Krishnagar South (86.3%) and Maynaguri in Jalpaiguri (88.5%). Even Diamond Harbour recorded 88% turnout. In Cooch Behar, Mekliganj had 87.3% turnout, Tufanganj 88.3% polling and Pingla 89%.
(With inputs from Sujay Khanra)