The Supreme Court has commended the over 92% voter turnout in the first phase of West Bengal assembly elections, observing that democracy is strengthened when citizens actively exercise their right to vote.
The bench, comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, made the remarks while hearing a batch of petitions challenging the special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in the state.
The court took note of the relative absence of violence during polling, a recurrent concern in the state's electoral history, and underscored the importance of peaceful democratic participation.
The first phase of polling covered 152 of the state's 294 assembly constituencies, including key regions in North Bengal and districts such as Murshidabad, Nadia, Birbhum, and Hooghly.
The bench refrained from intervening directly in grievances arising out of the SIR exercise, which has led to widespread deletions from the electoral roll, and directed parties to approach the Calcutta high court chief justice for administrative measures to expedite hearings.
