Voting for Assembly elections will be held on Thursday, April 9, in the states of Kerala and Assam, along with the Union Territory of Puducherry, marking the first phase of the 2026 state election cycle. Campaigning concluded earlier this week, with authorities completing final preparations for polling across all constituencies.
A total of 296 assembly seats across the three regions will go to polls in a single phase, with thousands of candidates in the fray and crores of voters expected to exercise their franchise. Voting will take place from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.
In Kerala, the election is expected to witness a triangular contest between the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), and the BJP-led NDA. The state has 140 assembly constituencies and over 2.69 crore registered voters. The previous election in 2021 saw the CPI(M)-led LDF return to power with 99 seats, with Pinarayi Vijayan continuing as Chief Minister.
In Assam, voting will be held across 126 constituencies, with a direct contest expected between the BJP-led alliance and the Congress-led opposition. The state has nearly 2.49 crore registered voters. In the previous election held in 2021, the BJP-led NDA retained power by winning 75 seats, with Himanta Biswa Sarma becoming Chief Minister.
Meanwhile, the Union Territory of Puducherry will witness polling across 30 constituencies, where about 9.5 lakh voters will decide the fate of 294 candidates. The previous election in 2021 resulted in the AINRC-led NDA forming the government, with N Rangaswamy as Chief Minister.
Security personnel, polling staff, and election materials have been deployed across all regions to ensure smooth and peaceful voting.
