Polling for the 2026 Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, and the Union Territory of Puducherry began at 7 am on Thursday, with early voter turnout indicating steady participation. According to data from the Election Commission of India, turnout by 11 am was 38.92% in Assam, 33.28% in Kerala, and 37.06% in Puducherry. Voting will decide 126 seats in Assam, 140 in Kerala, and 30 in Puducherry, with counting scheduled for May 4.
Kerala: High-Stakes Contest
In Kerala, over 2.69 crore voters are eligible to vote across 140 constituencies, with 883 candidates in the fray. The electorate includes more than 1.38 crore women, 1.31 crore men, and 277 third-gender voters. Young voters aged 18–19 number around 4.24 lakh, while over 2 lakh voters are above 85 years old. A total of 30,471 polling stations have been set up to facilitate the process.
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The election in Kerala is a direct contest between the Left Democratic Front (LDF), led by incumbent Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, seeking a third consecutive term, and the United Democratic Front (UDF), led by the Congress, which is attempting a return to power.
Assam: Large Electorate, Tight Competition
Assam has over 2.5 crore eligible voters for its 126-member Assembly, with 722 candidates contesting. The electorate is evenly split between male and female voters, with 318 transgender voters and 63,423 service voters. Young voters aged 18–19 number 6.42 lakh, while over 2.5 lakh are above 80 years. To ensure smooth polling, webcasting facilities have been enabled in all 31,490 polling stations, with 1.51 lakh polling personnel deployed.
The political contest in Assam is primarily between the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), seeking a third term, and a six-party alliance led by the Congress.
Puducherry: Multi-Cornered Battle
In Puducherry, over 10.14 lakh voters are eligible across 30 constituencies, including 5.39 lakh women, 4.74 lakh men, and 157 third-gender voters. Young voters aged 18–19 total 24,156, while 6,034 are aged 85 and above. The electoral contest is a multi-cornered fight between the ruling All India NR Congress-led NDA, the Congress-DMK alliance, and actor-turned-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam.
With polling underway across diverse regions and demographic groups, election authorities are closely monitoring turnout and security to ensure a smooth and transparent voting process.
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