The Election Commission Announces Assembly Polls in five regions: Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and the Union Territory of Puducherry. Nearly 174 million voters will take part in this large democratic exercise. The elections will fill 824 legislative assembly seats across these states.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar announced the polling dates on Sunday. The Model Code of Conduct came into effect immediately after the announcement.
Polling Dates and Schedule
Election Commission announces assembly polls in four regions will vote in a single phase. These include Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry. Voters in Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry will cast their ballots on April 9.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu will hold voting on April 23.
West Bengal will conduct elections in two phases. The state will vote on April 23 and April 29. Authorities will count votes on May 4 for all five regions.
Changes in Voter Lists
Officials also released updated voter statistics. The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process removed several names from electoral rolls.
Tamil Nadu recorded the highest number of deletions. The state had about 64.1 million voters when the revision began in October 2025. After four months, officials removed 7.4 million names. The updated voter count now stands at 56.7 million.
West Bengal ranks second with nearly 5.8 million deletions. Kerala removed around 800,000 names. Assam saw about 200,000 removals, while Puducherry recorded the smallest change with roughly 77,000 deletions.
Key Political Battles
The elections will shape important political contests across India.
In West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the All India Trinamool Congress will face a major challenge from the Bharatiya Janata Party. A victory would give Banerjee her fourth consecutive term as chief minister.
In Tamil Nadu, politics still revolves around two powerful regional parties. Chief Minister M. K. Stalin leads the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government. The party works in alliance with the Indian National Congress and other regional partners. Their main rival remains the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.
Political Stakes in Other States
In Assam, the Bharatiya Janata Party aims to retain power for a third consecutive term. Opposition parties, led by the Indian National Congress, have formed a broader alliance to challenge the ruling party.
Kerala remains India’s only state governed by the Left Democratic Front. The alliance broke the state’s usual trend of alternating governments in the last election. Opposition parties hope to benefit from anti-incumbency this time.
With alliances forming and campaigns starting, the upcoming elections promise intense competition across all five regions. The results on May 4 will play a key role in shaping the country’s political landscape.
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