New Delhi [India], April 24 : Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Friday alleged that a political backlash is emerging in West Bengal against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, claiming that "Modi ji's SIR is turning against him" in the context of the high voter turnout recorded in the state.
In a post on X, Kejriwal wrote, "It's coming to light that in West Bengal, votes are being cast firmly against SIR. Modi ji's SIR is turning against him."
{{{{twitter_post_id####}}}}सुनने में आ रहा है कि पश्चिम बंगाल में जम के SIR के ख़िलाफ़ वोट पड़ रहा है। मोदी जी का SIR उनके ही ख़िलाफ़ जा रहा है।— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) April 24, 2026
His remarks came shortly after Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar stated on Thursday that West Bengal and Tamil Nadu recorded the highest-ever voter turnout since Independence, as polling concluded at 6 pm.
"Highest ever percentage of polling in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu since Independence - ECI salutes each voter of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu," CEC Gyanesh Kumar said.
Polling for the Assembly elections concluded at 6 pm on Thursday, with West Bengal recording a significantly higher voter turnout of 91.91 per cent in Phase I polling compared to Tamil Nadu, which recorded 84.80 per cent turnout, according to the latest data by the Election Commission of India.
The high turnout figures underline an active electoral exercise as polling drew to a close amid tight security arrangements across constituencies.
Several districts in West Bengal recorded turnout figures exceeding 90 per cent. Dakshin Dinajpur led with 94.85 per cent, followed by Cooch Behar at 94.54 per cent, Birbhum at 93.70 per cent, Jalpaiguri at 93.23 per cent and Murshidabad at 92.93 per cent. The figures indicate consistently high participation across districts, with all major regions recording over 90 per cent turnout.
Tamil Nadu witnessed strong voter participation across districts, with several regions recording high turnout figures. Karur led the state with 89.32 per cent, followed by Salem at 88.02 per cent, Erode at 87.59 per cent, Dharmapuri at 87.28 per cent, and Tiruppur at 86.33 per cent. Ariyalur recorded 83.09 per cent, Tiruchirappalli 82.76 per cent, and Chennai 81.34 per cent, indicating strong participation in urban and semi-urban regions. Madurai and Thoothukudi recorded 77.89 per cent and 77.56 per cent, respectively.
Polling for 234 Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu and 152 constituencies in West Bengal began earlier in the day amid tight security arrangements. The remaining 142 constituencies in West Bengal are scheduled to vote on May 29, while counting of votes will take place on May 4.
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