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Informist, Thursday, Apr. 23, 2026

 

NEW DELHI – Total 41.11% electors had cast their vote in West Bengal by 1100 IST Thursday. In Tamil Nadu, the figure stood at 37.56%, data shared by the Election Commission of India showed.

 

Tamil Nadu is voting in a single phase for 234 legislative assembly seats, while West Bengal is seeing the first phase of election for 152 seats. In Tamil Nadu, the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, in alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Left parties, is looking to win a second consecutive term at power. It is being challenged by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Bharatiya Janata Party combine.

 

In West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is the president of the All India Trinamool Congress, is facing the toughest electoral battle of her career as the BJP has invested immense resources to dislodge her. The state is seeing what many political observers call an unprecedented deployment of Central Armed Police Forces.

 

A total of 2,400 platoons -- roughly 240,000 personnel -- of central paramilitary forces, armed with armoured vehicles and automatic weapons, are deployed for the first phase of elections in West Bengal. The TMC has alleged this is a tactic by BJP to intimidate voters. End

 

Reported by Asim Khan

Edited by Ashish Shirke

 

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