High-octane campaigning ends for Kerala, Assam, Puducherry ahead of April 9 poll

AFter a nearly month-long high-potential run pronounced by tart political exchanges, high-profile rallies and competing narratives of evolution and governance, electioneering for 296 assembly seats in Assam, Kerala and the Union Territory of Puducherry concluded on Tuesday.Voting for 126 seats in Assam, 140 in Kerala, and 30 in Puducherry will be held on April 9.The fate of 1,849 candidates across the three regions will be decided on May 4, when votes will also be counted for Tamil Nadu and West Bengal elections.In Kerala, 27.1 million voters — 13.2 million men, 13.9 million women and 273 transgender persons— will decide the fate of 833 candidates, according to the Election Commission. The contest is primarily among three fronts — the CPI(M)-led LDF, the Congress-led UDF and the BJP-led NDA.Top leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah for the NDA, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for the UDF, and Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan for the LDF, which is seeking a third successive term, campaigned extensively across the state.The campaign was not just about outreach but also saw intense political sparring. The Congress sought to build a narrative around an alleged understanding between the BJP and the CPI(M), while accusing the LDF of links with the SDPI and raising issues of corruption and governance. The LDF rejected the claims, highlighting its record on development, infrastructure and welfare schemes, and contrasting it with what it termed the failures of previous UDF governments.Also Read: From margins to muscle, BJP’s Kerala push intensifiesThe BJP attacked both fronts, arguing that Kerala had not seen meaningful development under either and positioning itself as an alternative.In Assam, the campaign revolved around CM Himanta Biswa Sarma’s five-year record and Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi, who led the opposition alliance. Sarma accused Gogoi of links with Pakistan’s ISI, while the Congress levelled allegations of corruption against Sarma and his wife.The campaign also saw a political slugfest between Congress and the BJP after a report by Singapore Police found no foul play in the death of Assamese singer Zubeen Garg.Top BJP leaders, including PM Modi, Shah, and defence minister Rajnath Singh, addressed rallies and promised action against infiltrators. To be sure, the BJP has been in power in Assam for a decade.“We are striking the names of infiltrators from the voter list. Mamata Didi and Rahul Baba are having a stomachache,” Shah said at a rally in Assam on Tuesday, reported by ANI. “Let them cry and beat their chests as much as they want, but infiltrators have to go.”Also Read: Infiltrators identified, to be deported one by one: Amit Shah in AssamMeanwhile, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, along with Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, assured people of ending corruption and prosecuting Sarma.Among the 722 candidates in fray, 59 are women, with the Congress having the highest at 99, followed by the BJP at 90, AIUDF 30, NDA allies AGP with 26 and BPF in 11 seats. Assam has over 25 million voters.Key constituencies include Jalukbari, where Sarma is seeking re-election, Jorhat, where Gogoi is contesting his first assembly poll, and Sibsagar, from where Raijor Dal’s Akhil Gogoi is seeking a second term.In Puducherry, campaigning for the 30-member assembly also ended on Tuesday. Puducherry has 23 assembly seats while Karaikal has 5, Mahe and Yanam have one seat each.A total of 294 candidates are contesting. Over 950,000 voters are in Puducherry and Karaikal, according to ECI.