EC announces poll dates for 4 states, 1 UT: Voting between Apr 9–29, results May 4; all except Bengal in single phase

THe Election direction of republic of india proclaimed the assemblage election schedules for westward Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, and the union territory of Puducherry on Sunday.Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, flanked by Election Commissioners, confirmed that the Model Code of Conduct came into force across all four states and the UT with immediate effect.The formal dates declared by the commission are:Counting and results for all: May 4Assam: Voting on April 9Kerala: Voting on April 9Puducherry: Voting on April 9Tamil Nadu: Voting on April 23West Bengal: Voting on April 23, 29Assam has 126 assembly constituencies; Kerala has 140; Tamil Nadu 234, and West Bengal; while Puducherry has 30.Electoral rolls for all four states and the union territory have been published as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voters' lists, a nationwide exercise that concluded in February 2026, with supplementary lists still to come for West Bengal.The SIR has been a major source of political controversy, particularly in West Bengal, where it dominated the pre-election period.The Congress earlier in the day took a dig at the Commission, claiming that the Model Code of Conduct stands for "Modi's Code of Campaigning." Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged that the poll body would have been given the go-ahead only after the ruling party had completed “this round of inaugurations, ribbon-cuttings, flag-offs, and launches”. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut went further, calling the commission an "extended branch" of the BJP and suggesting that its press conference might as well have been held at the BJP office.In West Bengal, the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress is seeking a fourth consecutive term, while the BJP, which has emerged as a formidable opposition force.The open confrontation between Mamata's TMC and the Election Commission over the SIR exercise has remained the highlight of pre-poll Bengal, with Banerjee leveraging the process as a political tool, framing it as a potential threat to Bengali identity and voters' rights.The 2021 election saw the TMC win 213 of 294 seats, with the BJP, despite a massive campaign, limited to 77. In 2016, the TMC had taken 211 seats, with the BJP managing just three.In Tamil Nadu, CM MK Stalin's DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance is seeking a second consecutive term, challenged by the AIADMK allied with the BJP. The 2026 contest, however, is notably more complex than 2021. The entry of actor-turned-politician Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has transformed what would have been a straight two-sided fight into a potential three-cornered battle.The 2021 election produced a comprehensive DMK victory — the party won 133 of 234 seats on its own, with the alliance total reaching 159. The AIADMK won 66 seats while the BJP, which had allied with the AIADMK, secured only four.In Kerala, the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) is attempting a record third consecutive term in government. CM Pinarayi Vijayan, who turns 83 in May, is leading the LDF campaign, though the question of whether he would serve a full term has become a recurring topic of speculation.The LDF's 2021 triumph — 99 of 140 seats, against the Congress-led UDF's 41 — was the first time any ruling front in Kerala had won back-to-back majorities.In Assam, the incumbent BJP-led NDA, which won 75 of 126 seats in 2021 under Himanta Biswa Sarma, is seeking a third consecutive term. Sarma has stated that the BJP will release its full candidate list by March 16 or 17 in a single announcement covering all seats.On the opposition side, Congress revived the Asom Sonmilito Morcha in November 2025, bringing together eight parties in an alliance against the BJP, though Raijor Dal has since left over seat-sharing disagreements. Congress has released two lists totalling 65 candidates, leaving 15 constituencies for alliance partners.As for Puducherry, the AINRC-led NDA won 16 of 30 seats in 2021.