New Delhi, 15 Mar

The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the schedule for the 2026 Assembly elections on Sunday. Four states - Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, West Bengal and the Union Territory of Puducherry will be going to elections in April.

Elections in Assam, Kerala, and the Union Territory of Puducherry will be held in a single phase on 9 April while polling in Tamil Nadu will take place on 23 April.

However, elections in West Bengal will be conducted in two phases – on 23 and 29 April. 

Counting of votes for all five states and UTs is scheduled for 4 May.

Addressing a press conferences in the national capital today, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar termed the Assembly polls a "festival of pride" and urged first-time voters to participate enthusiastically.

The CEC made a special appeal to young and first-time voters, saying, "My dear friends, you are about to step into one of the most important responsibilities of your life, exercising your democratic right, the right to vote. I urge you to participate enthusiastically in this great democratic exercise and cast your vote with pride, responsibility and confidence. Your vote is your choice in shaping the future of your state and the nation.

Furthermore, Special intensive revision of the voters' lists in these four states and one union territory has already been conducted, with final electoral rolls published.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had on March 10 visited West Bengal to review poll preparedness in the state. They had also visited the other states which are heading into polls to review poll preparedness.

The total number of seats in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly is 294, with the main contest between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). TMC, led by Mamata Banerjee, has been in power in the state since 2011.

Assam will witness a fight between the incumbent BJP-led NDA government and Congress for 126 state assembly seats.

In Kerala, the main fight is between the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF) for 140 seats of the Legislative Assembly. Meanwhile, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is also in the fray to compete against both alliances. BJP plans to contest around 100 seats in Kerala, while its allies Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) and Twenty20 are expected to contest the remaining 40 seats as part of the alliance.

For the 234 seats in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, political parties are ramping up their campaign activities and finalising seat-sharing arrangements within their respective alliances.

Puducherry will hold elections for all 30 constituencies of the 16th Puducherry Legislative Assembly. While the Congress is fighting the polls in an alliance with DMK and CPI, the opposition consisted of All India NR Congress, BJP and AIADMK.

The Election Commission of India reviewed poll preparedness for the upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, and Pudducherry previously this month.

According to a release, the Election Commission appointed Central Observers under the plenary powers conferred on it by Article 324 of the Constitution and Section 20B of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, to assist the Commission in the conduct of free and fair polls. They also oversee the efficient and effective management of the electoral process at the field level.