Polling under way in three states/UT
On April 9, 2026, voters in Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry are heading to the polls to elect the next legislative assemblies, while by‑elections are taking place in Nagaland (Koridang), Karnataka (Davanagere South and Bagalkot), and Tripura (Dharmanagar). The Election Commission has kept polling hours from 7 am to 6 pm, with tight security and special arrangements for elderly, disabled, and service voters at over 17,000 polling stations across Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry alone.
Voter turnout and early‑day trends
Early‑day indicators suggest steady turnout, with queues visible in urban and semi‑urban centres, while rural pockets see a more gradual flow. Kerala’s 140‑seat assembly, with about 2.71 crore voters, and Assam’s 126‑seat assembly, with over 1.9 crore voters, are among the largest democratic exercises today, alongside Puducherry’s 30‑seat contest with roughly 9.5 lakh voters. District‑level reports show marginally higher turnout in key urban constituencies, reflecting the high stakes for both regional and national parties.
Major battles in Kerala and Puducherry
In Kerala, the main contest is a three‑cornered fight between the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), the Congress‑led United Democratic Front (UDF), and the NDA, with the LDF struggling to hold on to its second‑term gains. In Puducherry, the statehood and development debate has sharpened the contest between the NDA‑led incumbent government and the INDIA bloc, which has made statehood assurance a central plank. Turnout in Puducherry is closely watched as a gauge of public sentiment on the region’s political status.
Key stakes in Assam
In Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is banking on a consolidation of the BJP‑led NDA vote, while the Congress and its allies frame the polls as a referendum on economic distress and demographic anxieties. The state’s 126 seats are spread across diverse communities, and turnout in sensitive border and tribal belts will be a key factor in the final arithmetic. By‑elections in Karnataka, Nagaland, and Tripura will add further granularity to the national mood, especially in regions with strategic security and connectivity significance.
What happens next
Results for the assemblies of Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry, along with the by‑polls in Nagaland, Karnataka, and Tripura, will be declared on May 4, 2026. The outcomes will shape the next phase of coalition‑building and policy‑making in the region and serve as an early verdict on voter priorities such as inflation, jobs, and regional autonomy.
