The stage is set to count the votes cast in the Assembly elections held in four states – Assam, Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala – and one union territory, Puducherry, last month. High drama has so far dominated Bengal, where re-polls have been announced in three constituencies – Valta, Diamond Harbour, and Magrat Paschim. An intense tussle for power is evident between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC), and the two disagree with allegations, accusations and barbs in both directions. Track updates on the 2026 elections
The 2026 Assembly elections were held between 9 April and 29 April 2026 in all four states and one union territory. While Kerala, Assam and Puducherry went to polls in a single phase on April 9, elections were held in Tamil Nadu and the first phase in Bengal on April 23. The second stage of voting was held on April 29.
A total of 823 seats went to the polls last month across the four states and a union territory.
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Despite all this, preparations for the counting of votes are about to be completed and whether incumbent Mamata Banerjee will be able to secure power or not will be known by the end of the day tomorrow. In Tamil Nadu, DMK’s MK Stalin is looking to retain power, while in Assam and Kerala, it is Himanta Biswa Sarma and Pinarayi Vijayan, respectively.
Here’s a look at exit poll forecasts
Bengal: Most exit polls in Bengal predict an upset for Mamata’s TMC and a big win for the BJP when the results are announced on May 4. However, Mamata’s TMC rejected these expectations, although some expected the party to retain power and return for a fourth term. Mamata confirmed that her party will win more than 200 seats.
Interestingly, Axis My India, one of India’s top pollsters, skipped publishing its post-election poll forecast in West Bengal, saying voters remained mum on their choice. A statement issued on behalf of Axis My India founder Pradeep Gupta said the reason behind not publishing exit polls from Bengal stems from the fact that a majority of voters, 70 per cent to be precise, refuse to participate in exit polls.
Kerala: Most opinion polls predicted that the Congress-led United Democratic Front would win in Kerala. While the Axis My India poll predicted the UDF to win 78-90 seats, the Manorama C-Voter poll said the UDF could win as many as 94 seats. The halfway mark in the 140-member assembly reached 71 seats. The two polls gave the Liberal Democracy Party 49-62 seats and 44-56 seats, respectively. Most opinion polls said that the NDA would remain a marginal player and could open its account in the state assembly.
Assam: Assam was the only state where all pollsters showed another term for the Sarma government. Axis My India predicted a BJP sweep in Assam, with the NDA getting 88-100 seats, while the Congress-led alliance got 24-36 seats. According to Matrisi, the NDA alliance is expected to get 85-95 seats, the Congress alliance is expected to get 25-32 seats, and the others are likely to get a maximum of 12 seats.
Tamil Nadu: While most exit polls have predicted another term for the MK Stalin-led alliance, the election could also pose a surprise with actor Vijay’s win, similar to M G Ramachandran’s win in 1977.
Axis My India forecast shows an advantage for Vijay’s TVK leading in 98-120 seats. It also showed that the DMK alliance got 92-100 seats, while the AIADMK-led NDA got 22-32 seats.
Puducherry: Pollsters see the NDA retaining Union territory. According to the People’s Pulse forecast, the NDA alliance is likely to retain power with 15-19 seats, putting it in a strong position in the 30-member Puducherry UT Parliament.
Bengali drama
Although the Centre’s battle against Mamata has been going on for some time, it is exaggerated during the polls. With the Center deploying security personnel at polling stations in Bengal, Mamata said this is being done to intimidate voters and influence the elections. Then there was the powerful showdown in the EVM room where Mamata spent nearly four hours inside the strong room of the counting center in Kolkata to “assess” the EVM manipulation attempts by the opposition in the state. TMC leaders staged a sit-in outside Khudiram Anushilan Kendra, where EVM strong rooms for multiple constituencies are located. Leaders Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Banga claimed that CCTV footage showed strangers inside the building “tampering with ballot papers”.
The Election Commission on Friday announced re-polls at 15 booths in Diamond Harbor and Magrat Pachem, while re-polls have also been announced in Valta constituency and will be held on May 21.
Vijayan is changing his social media bio
As Vijayan eyes a historic third term from home, the Kerala Chief Minister changed his social media bio on Sunday, just a day before the votes were counted. Vijayan’s changed biography read ‘Member of the Politburo, Communist Party of India (Marxist)’.
While Dharmadam is a popular bastion of the Left, the 2026 race is shaping up to be more than just a victory lap, whether from the Congress-led United Democratic Front or the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance. Vijayan won the Dharmadam seat comfortably in 2016 and 2021.
Historic elections for women of Tamil Nadu
With elections to 234 Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu being held on April 23, women’s participation was one of the highlights. A record number of 443 women competed in the elections. The surge in nominations — peaking at nearly 1,000 submissions before a final tally of 443 contestants — indicates a growing appetite for political engagement that goes beyond party tickets. Much of this growth is coming from independent candidates and smaller regional outfits, challenging the traditional gatekeeping of the main Dravidian parties, including the DMK and AIADMK.
