Forever second
Sir — As an Arsenal supporter, there is comfort in routine —spring arrives, flowers bloom, and Arsenal discover new ways to finish second. The club approaches the title race like a well-rehearsed tragedy: enough hope to raise expectations, enough collapse to never lift the cup. Manchester City collect championships as casually as grocery, while Arsenal fans are handed compliments about ‘progress’ and ‘promise’. Three straight second-place finishes deserve a special trophy of its own. Perhaps next season the parade bus can simply circle the block carrying a banner that reads: England’s finest runners-up.
Aditya Mukherjee,
Calcutta
Fear, not hope
Sir — West Bengal’s high voter turnout — 91.7% to 92.7% across 152 seats in Phase 1 — in the 2026 assembly elections shows that people understand that their democratic power lies in the vote. The prime minister, Narendra Modi, and the Union home minister, Amit Shah, have said that the high turnout signals an overwhelming mandate for change. The Trinamool Congress countered that the turnout reflected support for the present government. I believe that the Election Commission of India removing nearly 91 lakh names from the rolls created fear among voters that not voting might cost them their voting rights. Moreover, the reduced number of voters made the percentage seem high. History also shows that high turnout has rarely been anti-incumbency in West Bengal. The TMC might thus have the last laugh.
Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee,
Faridabad
Sir — The report, “Minority belts drive record voting” (April 24), presented a sobering picture. A 91.7% statewide turnout, and an astonishing 99.6% in some booths, may appear celebratory but the underlying implication is troubling. The surge in participation, particularly in minority-dominated areas such as Garbeta and Murshidabad, seems to be driven less by political choice than by a sense of survival. The Special Intensive Revision has cast a shadow of anxiety. For many, the inked finger has become proof of residency and citizenship. Migrant workers returning at personal cost reflects this fear. While the EC credits cleaner rolls, the larger question remains: at what cost? A healthy democracy requires voting to be driven by hope, not fear.
Beena Thapa,
Kalimpong
Sir — Minorities in West Bengal seem to have voted in record numbers. While they generally vote for the TMC, the ruling party may suffer losses owing to Humayun Kabir’s Janata Unnayan Party. But all Hindu votes are unlikely to go to the Bharatiya Janata Party. Predicting the outcome of such an election is difficult.
Aranya Sanyal,
Siliguri
Sir — The EC may claim credit for conducting a largely free and fair first phase of polls for 152 assembly seats in Bengal but there were several reasons behind the record turnout (“EC claims credit for huge voter turnout”, April 24). High polling was partly driven by fear linked to the SIR. Migrant workers also returned home to cast their votes and establish their citizenship. Many voters, irrespective of religion, wanted to check whether their names were included in the rolls. Moreover, when the SIR process is still incomplete with many genuine voters deprived of their franchise, what is the EC taking credit for?
D.P. Bhattacharya,
Calcutta
Sir — The unprecedented voter turnout in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal reflects the enthusiasm of the electorate and the growing awareness, especially among young people and women, about the importance of exercising their franchise. Such active participation is encouraging and the reasons for it include political awareness, strong campaigning and local issues.
M. Jeyaram,
Sholavandan, Tamil Nadu