The Election Commission has announced assembly election dates for West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry.
Polling in Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry will be held on April 9, Tamil Nadu on April 23, and West Bengal in two phases on April 23 and 29. Counting for all states will take place on May 4. Around 17.4 crore voters will cast their ballots at 2.19 lakh polling stations.
West Bengal’s 294-seat assembly sees a high-stakes contest between Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the BJP. In Assam, the BJP-led NDA faces Congress across 126 seats. Kerala’s 140-seat race pits the incumbent Left Democratic Front (LDF) against the United Democratic Front (UDF), with the BJP-led NDA contesting roughly 100 seats.
Tamil Nadu’s 234-seat election will be held in a single phase on April 23, while Puducherry’s 30 constituencies feature a Congress-DMK-CPI alliance against AIADMK, BJP, and the All India NR Congress. The ECI has deployed Central Observers under constitutional and legal provisions to ensure free and fair elections.
Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry will hold single-phase polling on April 9, with counting on May 4. The Election Commission has completed key preparations, including reviewing poll readiness, finalising electoral rolls, and assessing security, with special focus on West Bengal. The Model Code of Conduct is now in effect.
The BJP welcomed the schedule, expressing confidence that voters will support development, stability, and good governance. Party leaders, including Tarun Chugh and Pradeep Bhandari, highlighted elections as a celebration of democracy and called for change in West Bengal, urging citizens to back the BJP. In Kerala, BJP in-charge Vinod Tawde urged workers to promote PM Modi’s vision of “Viksit Bharat, Viksit Keralam” and push for the party’s success.
