FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 12 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | MUMBAI | BHUBANESWAR | LUCKNOW | SILIGURI Cultural signal PERSPECTIVE Page 9 RCB aim to reignite firepower against unsettled Gujarat Titans Tiny island is a giant political symbol US military says it has seized another oil tanker linked to Iran Page 6 Page 12 Page 7 Winds of change or status quo: TN, Bengal record bumper voter turnout VIBHA SHARMA New Delhi, 23 April W est Bengal and Tamil Nadu both recorded bumper voter turnouts of 91.78 per cent and 84.69 per cent, respectively, as the two states went to the polls to elect new Assemblies on Thursday ~ West Bengal in the first of two phases and Tamil Nadu in a single phase. Whether this can be seen as an indication of the direction the wind will blow on 4 May, the day votes will be counted, remains an open question. What it clearly reflects is the people’s strong belief in and active participation in India’s democratic process. Despite some incidents of violence as the first phase of the Assembly elections progressed across 152 constituencies in Bengal, voter turnout in the keenly contested state was touching 90 per cent by 5 p.m. Tamil Nadu ~ where voters elected all 234 legislators in a single phase ~ was also within kissing distance of the 80 per cent mark by that hour. Observers say high turnout percentages are indicators, but not necessarily of the outcome. High turnout signals engagement and intensity, they show people care but not who they are voting for. The fact is, it is difficult to establish a clear relationship between turnout and anti-incumbency as multiple factors are at play. Take for example the 2021 results: In West Bengal, where voters re-elected the incumbent TMC, the turnout was 82.30 per cent. Tamil Nadu, which opted for change with a landslide victory for the DMK, also recorded a relatively high turnout of 73.63 per cent. A turnout above 65–70 per cent is considered high, 55–60 per cent average, and below 50 per cent low. But then these elections were quite unlike the ones in the past. The BJP had especially made the Bengal elections a prestige issue, deploying top leadership ~ from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Home Minister Amit Shah, chief ministers and popular leaders ~ and leaving no stone unturned in its high-pitched campaign to unseat incumbent Mamata Banerjee. Even as the state voted, PM Modi took a jibe at the ruling TMC, saying, “Jhalmuri maine khayi, lekin jhal TMC ko lagi hai.” The run-up to the elections in Bengal saw exclusion of nearly 90 lakh voters in the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of High voter turnout signals ‘end of fear’ in Bengal: Modi BISWABRATA GOSWAMI Krishnagar, 23 April Seizing on what he described as an unprecedented surge in voter participation and a marked decline in poll violence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday declared that West Bengal was witnessing the “end of fear politics” and a decisive mandate for change. Centre rules out post-poll `25-28 fuel price spike: New Delhi: Amid the ongoing fuel concerns triggered by the West Asia conflict, several reports have indicated a possible hike in petrol and diesel prices across the country after the completion of the ongoing Assembly elections. However, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has dismissed these claims as “fake”. Certain sections of the media reported that petrol and diesel prices could rise by Rs 25-28 per litre. Citing Kotak Institutional Equities, the report noted that fuel prices have remained unchanged despite a sharp rise in crude oil. The current freeze in retail fuel prices is becoming increasingly unsustainable, the report said, with oil marketing companies absorbing significant losses, with an estimated incremental impact of around Rs 27,000 crore per month. The Ministry said: “Such news items are designed to create fear and panic amongst the citizens and are mischievous and misleading. In fact, India is the only country where petrol and diesel prices haven’t increased in the last 4 years”. Friday, 24 April 2026 SPORTS WORLD EDITORIAL | Addressing an election rally in Krishnagar in Nadia district amid the first phase of Assembly polling, Mr Modi framed the high turnout as a political turning point. He also observed that “for the first time in fifty years, elections in Bengal have seen minimal violence,” and credited the Election Commission of India for restoring democratic credibility in the state. “This is not an election being fought by political parties or leaders; it is being led by the people of Bengal themselves,” he said, projecting the polls as a mass uprising against what he repeatedly termed the TMC’s “jungle raj.” Mr Modi alleged that the ruling dispensation had presided over a climate of fear, corruption, and institutional decay, claiming that voices suppressed for years were now “speaking in unison across villages and streets.” He said the public mood reflected a clear demand for regime change, invoking the slogan “Enough is Enough” to underline what he described as a groundswell of anger. Mr Modi also sought to draw a direct correlation between high voter turnout and electoral success for the Bharatiya Janata Party, predicting that the “lotus will bloom” in Bengal when votes are counted on 4 May. “Wherever there has been record voting in the country, it has translated into decisive victories for the BJP,” he said. In a pointed attack on the TMC’s development record, he accused the state government of failing to deliver on key promises, including industrial growth, employment generation, and infrastructure expansion. He cited the closure of factories and jute mills, inadequate healthcare services, and urban mismanagement as evidence of administrative failure. the electoral rolls. The day saw a steady upward trajectory in participation across both states. Turnout was 17.69 per cent in Tamil Nadu and 18.76 per cent in West Bengal at 9:00 a.m, rising to 37.56 per cent and 41.11 per cent by 11:00 a.m. By 1:00 p.m, both states had crossed the halfway mark, with Tamil Nadu at 56.81 per cent and West Bengal at 62.18 per cent. The momentum continued through the afternoon, reaching 70.00 per cent and 78.77 per cent respectively by 3:00 p.m, reflecting sustained voter engagement. Security arrangements were extensive, particularly in Bengal, where Central forces were deployed to maintain order. Election officials reported brisk polling through the afternoon, with long queues still visible at multiple polling stations at 5:00 p.m. • Election reports: Pages 2,3 and 4 Mamata confident TMC will return to power for 4th time STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Kolkata, 23 April Trinamul Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee on Thursday expressed confidence that her party will return to power for a fourth time in the ongoing Assembly election, as the state voted in the first phase of the two-phase election, covering 152 seats across North and South Bengal. Addressing a political rally in Bowbazar, she said:“If I am not wrong, we are returning to power for the fourth time. I could see joy in the smiles of the people who have voted for us. Trinamul Congress works for the people and remains by their side throughout the year. The BJP leaders are migratory birds. They come before the election and leave after facing defeat handsomely.” Party nominees Nayana Bandyopadhyay (Chowringhee) and Sandipan Saha (Entally) were present on the dais, along with North Kolkata MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay. Criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Miss Banerjee remarked: “I have never seen such a Prime Minister who can speak lies so confidently. He said he is contesting all 294 seats. To do that he would first have to resign from the post of Prime Minister. I am a resident of Bhowanipore and resigned from the Chief Minister’s post. I fail to understand how a Prime Minister could say such big lies. Is it just to confuse the people?” Miss Banerjee accused the BJP of working with the “godi media”: “Rest assured the godi media will show on 4 May that Trinamul Congress is trailing behind the BJP. As time progresses, the godi media will become silent. This is their nature, and I request well-meaning people not to be swayed by them.” She also alleged that the BJP is spreading falsehoods about Bengal’s industrial scenario: “They always show stories which are half true. If you want to see what industrial development has taken place in Bengal, go to Hooghly by road and see for yourself. Do not rely on second-hand information.”