THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

NEW DELHI, MARCH 15, 2026

The Election Commission of India on Sunday announced the schedule for assembly elections in five politically significant regions, setting the stage for a high-stakes electoral battle across Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and the Union Territory of Puducherry. Polling will be held on three dates in April, with counting of votes scheduled for May 4.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said voting for all seats in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry will take place in a single phase on April 9, while elections in Tamil Nadu will be held on April 23. In West Bengal, polling will occur in two phases on April 23 and April 29.

Announcing the schedule at a press conference in the national capital, Kumar said a total of 17.4 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballots across 824 assembly constituencies in the five assemblies. He was joined by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.

Compared to the 2021 assembly elections that were spread across eight polling days over nearly a month, the upcoming elections will take place over three polling days within a 20-day window, significantly compressing the electoral timeline. The announcement also triggered the immediate enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct, restricting governments from announcing new policy decisions or benefits that could influence voters.

The elections will test the political strength of several ruling parties. In Tamil Nadu, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government led by Chief Minister M. K. Stalin will seek another mandate in the 234-member assembly. In West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her All India Trinamool Congress will defend their position in the 294-seat legislature where the party has been in power since 2011.

In Kerala, the ruling Left Democratic Front government headed by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan faces the electorate in the 140-member assembly. Meanwhile in Assam, the Bharatiya Janata Party government led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma will attempt to retain power in the 126-seat house. In Puducherry, the NDA ally All India N R Congress led by Chief Minister N. Rangasamy is currently in office in the 30-member assembly.

The Election Commission also detailed the nomination timelines. For Assam, Kerala and Puducherry, the notification will be issued on March 16 with the last date for filing nominations on March 23. For Tamil Nadu, the notification will be issued on March 30, while nominations close on April 6. West Bengal will have separate notifications for the two phases on March 30 and April 2 respectively.

Polling in West Bengal will cover 152 constituencies in the first phase and 142 in the second, making it the only state among the five where elections will be conducted in multiple stages.

Emphasising the need for peaceful elections, Kumar said the Commission would take strict action against violence, inducement or violations of electoral rules. He also announced enhanced transparency measures, including presiding officers uploading voter turnout data every two hours and immediately after polling concludes.

In total, 2,18,807 polling stations will be set up across the five regions, with the largest number in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. Nearly 25 lakh election officials, including polling personnel, security staff, observers and counting officials, will be deployed to ensure smooth conduct of the polls.

The terms of the current assemblies are set to end between May and June, with West Bengal’s tenure expiring on May 7, followed by Tamil Nadu on May 10, Assam on May 20, Kerala on May 23 and Puducherry on June 15. The results on May 4 are expected to shape the political trajectory in several key states ahead of future national contests.