New Delhi, April 9 – Welcoming the high turnout in the first phase of Assembly elections on Thursday, which may be the highest in five decades, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar greeted voters and poll officials, emphasizing that the impressive voting figures reflect the people's trust in democracy.
"The Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry in 2026 are a historic testament, not only for India but for the entire democratic world," the CEC said, noting that Puducherry recorded a turnout of 89.08 per cent, Assam 85.04 per cent, and Kerala 77.38 per cent around 7 p.m., with further increases expected in the final count.
"On behalf of the ECI, I congratulate all the voters in Assam, Puducherry, and Kerala for this historic achievement," he said, even as election officials suggested that the turnout in the first phase of the Assembly polls could be the highest ever in five decades.
Sources said that the highest-ever voter turnout in the last 50 years signifies that electors have a very high trust in the ECI, led by CEC Gyanesh Kumar, and with such a high level of trust in the elections conducted by the ECI, India is a much stronger democracy now.
The "Chunav ka Parv, Matdaata ka Garv" campaign was, to a large extent, also responsible for the record turnout, according to sources.
According to Article 324 of the Constitution, the ECI has two main roles: preparing electoral rolls and conducting elections. The voting patterns on Thursday show that people have very high trust in both a transparent SIR by the ECI and the transparent conduct of elections by the ECI, the sources said.
The polling percentage recorded in the three states/UTs has set new records.
Even before the finalisation of the figure on voting percentage, the numbers surpassed the final electoral turnout of 2021, when Puducherry recorded 83.42 per cent, Assam 82.42 per cent, and Kerala around 76 per cent. Incidentally, the turnout dropped marginally in 2021 compared to 2016.