Assembly elections will be held in the states of Assam, Kerala and Puducherry, in addition to key by-elections in Nagaland, Karnataka and Tripura.
Voters across multiple states and union territories are scheduled to head to assembly elections and bypolls on April 9, with high-stakes contests in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry. In Karnataka, Nagaland and Tripura, by-polls will be conducted.
According to the Election Commission, voting will start from seven in the morning until six in the evening in all states. Elaborate security arrangements were made and polling materials, including electronic voting machines, were handed over to polling officers in Kerala, Assam and Puducherry.
Assembly elections in Kerala, Assam and Puducherry
Assam Assembly elections
- The elections to be held in Assam on Thursday will decide the fate of 722 candidates competing for elections to the 126-member state parliament. Polling officials said that 31,940 polling stations had been set up in 35 districts to conduct polling in a single phase.
- The Assam government also declared a public holiday for all government and private offices, as well as urban local bodies, educational institutions and commercial establishments on Thursday.
- The polling process will witness 2.50 crore voters, including 6,42,314 voters in the age group of 18 to 19 years.
- In Assam, the campaign centered around Prime Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s governance record and the challenge to the Gaurav Gogoi-led Congress. The period leading up to the elections witnessed an exchange of accusations between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress.
Also Read: Assam Assembly Elections 2026: CM Himanta contests from Jalukbari as BJP releases list of candidates for assembly polls
Kerala assembly elections
- After nearly a month of intense election campaigning, Kerala is gearing up for crucial assembly elections on Thursday, with 2.71 crore voters gearing up to cast their votes.
- Voting is scheduled to take place from 7 am to 6 pm in all 140 constituencies, with 883 candidates competing.
- The contest, though triangular, has its roots in Kerala’s traditional bipolar political landscape, where power largely alternates between the LDF and the United Democratic Front.
- Led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the Left Front highlighted its record of governance over 10 years, highlighting infrastructure development and welfare schemes.
Puducherry Assembly Elections
- About 9.5 lakh voters are set to decide the electoral fate of 294 candidates contesting the Puducherry Assembly elections.
- Polling will begin at 7 am across Puducherry and its Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam districts, which together represent 30 Assembly seats.
- A total of 1,099 polling stations were established, of which 209 were identified as vulnerable, leading to tightened security measures.
- The NDA alliance (AINRC, BJP, AIADMK and LJK) aims to retain the “dual engine” government in the union territory. The India bloc (Congress, DMK, VCK) faces a strong challenge.
- Instead, actor Vijay’s newly formed TVK has emerged as an important third force, fielding candidates across constituencies.
Also Read: High-octane election campaign ends in Kerala, Assam and Puducherry ahead of April 9 elections
By-polls in Nagaland, Karnataka and Tripura
Nagaland by reconnaissance
- In Nagaland, a sub-survey of Kuredang Association will be conducted in Mokokchung district of Nagaland. The bypoll, scheduled for Thursday, was necessitated by the death of BJP MLA Imkong L. Imchen in November last year.
- Ahead of the by-elections, security measures were tightened with a night-time curfew imposed in four villages following election-related violence that left one person dead.
- A total of six candidates are competing. The BJP (part of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party) has fielded late MLA’s son Daochier I. Imchen, while the Congress has nominated T. Chalukumba Ao.
- The number of voters in the district is 22,382, and the counting of votes is scheduled to take place on May 4.
Karnataka by poll
- Bypoll voting will be held in Bagalkot and South Davanagere districts in Karnataka on Thursday.
- The by-election was necessitated by the deaths of senior Congress MLAs HY Meti and Shamanur Shivashankarappa, and the elections are scheduled to be held on May 4
- In Bagalkot and South Davanagere, over 4.9 lakh voters combined will cast their votes at 603 polling stations, with nine candidates in Bagalkot and 25 candidates in Davanagere South in the fray.
Also read: Mallikarjun Kharge expresses regret after BJP claims he called Gujaratis ‘illiterate’
Air reconnaissance was cancelled
The Bombay High Court has quashed the Election Commission of India’s notification of Goa’s Bonda Assembly bypoll a day before voting, citing violation of the law as the term of the Assembly is scheduled to end in a year.
The election, which was scheduled to be held on Thursday, was cancelled, despite postal ballots having already been cast, with the court refusing to suspend its order.
Also read: From margins to muscle, BJP’s campaign intensifies in Kerala
Tripura by ballot
North Tripura’s Dharmanagar Assembly goes to bypolls tomorrow, where 46,142 voters are scheduled to vote among six candidates.
This poll was necessitated after the death of BJP leader and Assembly Speaker Biswa Bandu Sen in December last year.
(With inputs from agencies)
Akansha Purohit is a content producer at Hindustan Times, where she works within the online news desk. She began her journey with the organization as an intern and later joined the newsroom in a full-time editorial role. With nearly a year of experience at Hindustan Times, she contributes to the daily news cycle by writing, curating and editing digital content. Her work focuses primarily on national and international news, along with explainers that simplify complex developments and ongoing issues. She also writes on matters of general interest and blogs with live updates. Akansha holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Kamala Nehru College, Delhi University, and completed her postgraduate studies in Digital Media from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi. During the graduate program, she worked on several research and journalistic projects that enhanced her skills in reporting, editing, and digital storytelling.Read more
