The Election Commission on Sunday announced the assembly poll schedule for four states — West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala — and the Union Territory of Puducherry.
The elections will be held between April 9 and April 29. The results for all five legislative assemblies will be declared on May 4.These polls are mandated as the legislative terms end between May and June 2026: West Bengal (May 7), Tamil Nadu (May 10), Assam (May 20), Kerala (May 23), and Puducherry (June 15).
West Bengal
Elections in West Bengal will be held in two phases: first phase will be conducted on April 23 and the second one on April 29. As West Bengal gears up for its 294-seat assembly polls in 2026, chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) remains the frontrunner, leveraging its 2021 sweep of 213 seats through flagship welfare like Lakshmir Bhandar for women and rural job schemes.
The BJP-led NDA, under Suvendu Adhikari, eyes a comeback by targeting 200+ seats in Hindu-majority North Bengal and Junglemahal, vowing NRC implementation, and anti-corruption. A revived Left-Congress alliance fights for relevance. Controversy swirls around Special Intensive Revision (SIR), with BJP asserting that lakhs of fake voters (Rohingyas, infiltrators) in Muslim areas have been finally removed, but the TMC labeling it as minority harassment.
Tamil Nadu
Elections in Tamil Nadu will be held in a single phase on April 23. Tamil Nadu’s 234-seat assembly elections pit the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) under chief minister M.K. Stalin against the opposition All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and a resurgent BJP alliance.
Key battles revolve around welfare populism, law and order, and Dravidian identity versus national integration narratives. Stalin’s government highlights industrial growth and social justice, while opponents criticise corruption and power cuts.
Assam
Elections in Assam will be held in a single phase on April 9.Assam’s 126 seats pit chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s BJP-led coalition against the Congress-led opposition, focusing on indigenous rights, flood management, and anti-infiltration drives.
BJP highlights development and citizenship reforms like NRC, while critics point to unemployment and rhino poaching. Sarma’s popularity could secure a second term, though regional parties like AGP play kingmaker
Kerala
Elections in Kerala will be held in a single phase on April 9. Kerala, with 140 assembly seats, heads to polls in 2026 amid a two-way contest between the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) led by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s CPI(M) and the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) under Congress.
The LDF seeks a third term, leveraging welfare schemes and development, but faces anti-incumbency over issues like unemployment and high living costs. The BJP aims to expand its foothold among Hindu voters, though it remains a marginal player in the state’s polarized politics.
Puducherry
Elections in Puducherry will be held in a single phase on April 9.
The 30-seat UT race sees N Rangasamy’s AINRC-BJP NDA (20 seats in 2021) face Congress-DMK push (10 seats targeted), stressing Centre aid versus local gripes like liquor bans and outages. Rangasamy’s sway and BJP youth drive will decide the verdict here.
