Darjeeling logs record 88% polling as voters travel across India to reach booths

Darjeeling: Darjeeling registered its highest ever voter turnout of 88% till 5pm on Thursday. The record turnout is attributed to residents travelling from various parts of the country to cast their votes amid concerns over their names being struck off the electoral rolls. Voters, cutting across party lines, said their presence was not just about participation, but also about safeguarding their democratic rights.

At the same time, conversations among voters saw a subtle shift in the political mood of the Hills—from the once-dominant demand for a separate state to a growing call for development and representation.

Rewaz Sharma of Sittong in Kurseong travelled all the way from Bengaluru to vote. "I was compelled to come and vote from Bengaluru as there was a fear that names could be removed from the electoral list if we didn't vote. The first challenge was getting tickets. I had to take a bus to Kolkata. On the way, I had to wait for 14 hours in Cuttack after the bus broke down. From Kolkata, I took a train to Siliguri, and then faced another hurdle finding transport to Sittong. I finally managed to get a cab heading towards Sikkim, got down at Birik Dara, and waited for another vehicle to reach Sittong," said Sharma, who travelled with his mother.




He added that the trip also came at a professional cost. "I had applied for leave, but it wasn't granted initially. Given the distance, I had to take leave without pay," he said. "Getting a return ticket is another challenge. Trains are fully booked, flights are expensive — I really don't know how I will manage to get back," he added.

Echoing similar concerns, Shrijana Dungana of Darjeeling, who is pursuing her BEd in Murshidabad, said: "My parents insisted that I return home to vote due to fears around the SIR process. They warned that if I didn't vote, it could create problems in the future."

The district comprises five assembly constituencies — Darjeeling, Kurseong, Matigara-Naxalbari, Siliguri and Phansidewa — with 1,631 polling stations, including auxiliary booths.

Across Darjeeling district, 1,517 polling stations were operational at 1,054 locations, catering to 7,739 service electors and 7,662 persons with disabilities. Voter distribution shows 2,17,170 electors in Darjeeling assembly constituency and 2,21,235 in Kurseong, while the plains report higher figures: 2,77,004 in Matigara-Naxalbari, 2,03,405 in Siliguri and 2,29,395 in Phansidewa.
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