Assembly elections: Polling crosses 59% in Assam, 49% in Kerala by 1 pm
Polling for the 2026 Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala and the Union Territory of Puducherry began at 7 a.m. on Thursday, with voter turnout picking up steadily through the day.
According to data released by the Election Commission of India, turnout at 1 p.m. stood at 59.63% in Assam, 49.70% in Kerala, and 56.83% in Puducherry.
In Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma cast his vote at a polling station in Jalukbari, from where he is contesting as a candidate of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). He was accompanied by his wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, and their children. Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister offered prayers at the Kamakhya temple in Guwahati.
Jalukbari has remained a stronghold of Sarma for nearly 25 years. He has represented the constituency since 2001, when he defeated Asom Gana Parishad leader Bhrigu Kumar Phukan.
Meanwhile, bypolls in select Assembly constituencies also recorded moderate turnout. As of 1 p.m., Bagalkot in Karnataka reported 43.75% polling, Davanagere South 37.17%, Koridang in Nagaland 59.52%, and Dharmanagar in Tripura 52.76%.
Polling is being held for 126 seats in Assam, 140 in Kerala, and 30 in Puducherry. Counting of votes will take place on May 4.
Kerala
In Kerala, over 2.69 crore voters are eligible to cast their votes across 140 constituencies, deciding the fate of 883 candidates. The electorate includes more than 1.38 crore women and 1.31 crore men, along with 277 third-gender voters.
Nearly 4.24 lakh voters fall in the 18–19 age group, while over 2 lakh voters are aged 85 and above. A total of 30,471 polling stations have been set up.
The Left Democratic Front, led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, is seeking a third consecutive term, while the United Democratic Front, led by the Congress, is attempting a return to power.
Assam
In Assam, more than 2.5 crore voters are eligible to vote in the 126-member Assembly, with 722 candidates in the fray.
The electorate comprises over 1.25 crore male voters and 1.25 crore female voters, along with 318 transgender voters and 63,423 service voters. Among them, 6.42 lakh voters are aged 18–19, while more than 2.5 lakh are above 80 years.
Webcasting facilities have been enabled at all 31,490 polling stations to strengthen monitoring. A total of 1.51 lakh polling personnel have been deployed.
The contest is primarily between the ruling National Democratic Alliance, led by the BJP and seeking a third consecutive term, and a six-party alliance led by the Congress.
Puducherry
In Puducherry, over 10.14 lakh voters are eligible to cast their votes across 30 constituencies. The electorate includes 5.39 lakh women, 4.74 lakh men, and 157 third-gender voters.
Around 24,156 voters are in the 18–19 age group, while 6,034 are aged 85 and above.
The contest in the Union Territory is between the All India NR Congress-led NDA and the Congress-DMK alliance. Actor-turned-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam has also fielded candidates.
