Darjeeling recorded its highest ever voter turnout of 88 percent until 5 pm on Thursday, a historic milestone attributed to residents traveling from various parts of the country to cast their ballots amid concerns over their names being removed from the electoral rolls.
Voter Determination Across Party Lines
Voters, cutting across party lines, emphasized that their presence was not merely about participation but also about safeguarding their democratic rights. Conversations among the electorate revealed a subtle shift in the political mood of the Hills, moving from the once-dominant demand for a separate state to a growing call for development and representation.
Stories of Long Journeys
Rewaz Sharma of Sittong in Kurseong traveled 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 traveled 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.'
District Assembly Constituencies and Polling Stations
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.
