As West Bengal recorded its highest-ever voter turnout in the just-concluded Assembly elections , the rising participation of women voters is among the major trends. Since 2011, women have turned out to vote in greater numbers than men across Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. This year, as per an Election Commission statement, the overall turnout in Bengal hit 92.47%, the highest ever in any Assembly or Lok Sabha election. Women’s turnout rose to 93.24%, while men’s turnout increased to 91.74%. Before the 2026 Assembly polls, the highest overall turnout was recorded in 2011 at 84.72%. That year, women had voted at a then-record 84.45%, while men’s turnout stood at 84.22%. Notably, the 2011 Assembly elections marked the end of 34 years of Left rule with the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) coming to power for the first time in Bengal. However, the 2014 Lok Sabha polls marked the only election since 2011 when women’s turnout dipped below that of men in Bengal.…