Assembly Elections 2026: Live Updates on Key State Polls in India

Voting commenced at 7 a.m. On Thursday, April 9, as electors in Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry began casting ballots in high-stakes Assembly elections. According to the Election Commission, polling is scheduled to conclude at 6 p.m. Across these regions, marking the start of the 2026 election season.

Assam Assembly Contest

In Assam, 722 candidates are competing for 126 seats in the state assembly. The electoral battle is primarily focused on the governance record of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and the opposition campaign led by Gaurav Gogoi. To facilitate the single-phase polling, officials established 31,940 polling stations across 35 districts.

The state electorate consists of 2.50 crore voters, including 642,314 individuals in the 18-19 age group. To ensure voter access, the Assam government declared a public holiday for all educational institutions, business establishments, urban local bodies, and both government and private offices.

Kerala and Puducherry Polling

Kerala is conducting elections across 140 constituencies with 883 candidates contesting. The state has 2.71 crore eligible voters. While the race is described as triangular, the primary contest remains between the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF). Chief Minister Vijayan cast his vote in Kannur on Thursday morning.

In the Union Territory of Puducherry, approximately 9.5 lakh voters are deciding the fate of 294 candidates across 30 seats. The territory is currently governed by a coalition led by the All India N. R. Congress (AINRC) under Chief Minister N. Rangasamy, with support from the BJP. The NDA alliance is seeking to retain power against a challenge from the INDIA bloc.

By-Elections and Judicial Interventions

Parallel to the assembly elections, by-polls are being held in several constituencies across Karnataka, Nagaland, Tripura, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. In Karnataka, key contests are taking place in the Bagalkot and Davangere South constituencies. In Maharashtra, a by-election is being held for the Baramati seat, which became vacant following the death of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash.

Not all scheduled by-polls proceeded; the Bombay High Court declared the Election Commission’s notification for the Ponda by-election in Goa as invalid, resulting in the cancellation of the April 9 vote.

Political Alignments in Tamil Nadu

Separate from the active polling, BJP National President Nitin Nabin addressed potential alliances in Tamil Nadu on Thursday. Nabin dismissed the possibility of a tie-up with actor-turned-politician Vijay and his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), stating that the BJP is already aligned with the AIADMK. Nabin questioned the level of commitment Vijay could devote to full-time politics.

The results for the Assembly elections in Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry are scheduled to be declared on May 4.