Polling in Samserganj and Jangipur Assembly seats in Murshidabad on Thursday turned out to be a peaceful affair and recorded high turnout of voters, mostly migrant labourers who had come home to exercise their franchise.

As of 5pm, Samserganj recorded a voter turnout of 78.60 per cent and Jangipur 76.12 per cent.

Unofficial estimates put the number of migrant workers in the two constituencies at around 50,000, who were seen queuing up outside polling booths since early morning.

The migrants said they had arrived in large numbers “to support their parties” even though the results would not make any impact on the fate of the Trinamul Congress government.

“I knew I would be coming home and had planned this trip months in advance. I am happy to pay out of my own pocket if it means progress for my party,” said Raghunandanpur resident Mostaq Ansari, 42, who works for a distribution company in Bihar. A known Trinamul supporter in the area, he had reached his home on Wednesday night.