Assembly Polls Conclude in Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry
- Voting for the Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry concluded on April 9, 2026, with the three regions going to the polls in a single phase.
- Showed Puducherry leading with over 86%, followed by Assam at 84%, and Kerala at 75%.
- In Assam, the turnout of 84.42% surpassed the figures recorded during the 2021 elections.
Voting for the Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry concluded on April 9, 2026, with the three regions going to the polls in a single phase. Polling ended at 6 p.m., though voters present at polling stations at the closing time were provided tokens to ensure they could cast their ballots.
Voter turnout figures recorded up to 5 p.m. Showed Puducherry leading with over 86%, followed by Assam at 84%, and Kerala at 75%. Final estimates after the conclusion of polling indicated that voter turnout in Kerala for its 140 Assembly seats reached 77.45%.
In Assam, the turnout of 84.42% surpassed the figures recorded during the 2021 elections. In Kerala, the 75.01% turnout recorded by 5 p.m. Was reported to be consistent with the turnout of the previous polls.
Regional Polling and Bypolls
While the primary focus remained on the three states and the union territory, other electoral activities took place concurrently. A bypoll in Dharmanagar, Tripura, recorded a voter turnout of 79.84%. Voting for bypolls was conducted in Nagaland and Karnataka.
The Election Commission had previously issued instructions regarding the integrity of the polling process. Officials reminded returning officers on April 7, 2026, that a repoll could be recommended at any polling station where webcasting was found to have been deliberately interrupted.
Political Developments in West Bengal
Parallel to the voting in Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry, political activity intensified in West Bengal ahead of its own upcoming Assembly elections. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee raised concerns regarding the electoral rolls during a public rally at Minakhan in the North 24 Parganas district on April 9, 2026.
Banerjee alleged that the BJP had deleted over 90 lakh names from voter lists during a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. She specifically noted on April 7, 2026, at a rally in the Nadia district’s Chakdaha area, that individuals from minority communities and the Matua community were among those excluded. The Trinamool Congress stated it would move the court to ensure these deleted names are reinstated.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also campaigned in West Bengal, addressing a rally in Haldia on April 9, 2026. During his speech, which invoked Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Prime Minister stated that the high attendance at the rally, despite inclement weather, signaled a desire for change in the state and the eventual exit of the Trinamool Congress.
Kerala Political Outlook
In Kerala, the political climate leading up to the April 9 vote was described as increasingly favorable to the United Democratic Front (UDF). Shashi Tharoor, the Member of Parliament from Thiruvananthapuram, noted on April 7, 2026, that strong anti-incumbency sentiment was visible across the state.
Tharoor suggested that the UDF was likely to secure a comfortable majority, predicting a win of between 85 and 100 seats in the 140-member Assembly.
Timeline and Next Steps
Public campaigning for the Assembly polls in Kerala, Puducherry, and Assam ended at 6 p.m. On Tuesday, April 7, 2026. Following the conclusion of the voting phase on April 9, the results for these elections are scheduled to be announced on May 4, 2026.
Other electoral events continue in the region, including the April 23 polls for the Perambur and Tiruchirappalli Assembly constituencies, for which TVK chief Vijay’s nomination was accepted following scrutiny on April 7, 2026.