Assembly Elections 2026 Dates: Poll Dates For Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, Puducherry Announced

Assembly Elections Dates: The Election Commission has announced the dates for the Assembly elections in West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam, and Puducherry. Significant changes have been made to the voter lists in these states. The main contest is between the TMC and BJP in West Bengal, the NDA and Congress in Assam, and the LDF and UDF in Kerala.

On Sunday, the Election Commission announced the dates for the Assembly elections in West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam, and Puducherry. Voting will take place in two phases in West Bengal—on April 23 and April 29; on April 9 in Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry; and on April 23 in Tamil Nadu. The counting of votes for all four states and the one Union Territory will take place simultaneously on May 4.

Additionally, by-elections in Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Nagaland, and Tripura will be held on April 9 and April 23. By-elections for Assembly seats will take place on April 9 in Goa, Karnataka, Nagaland, and Tripura, and on April 23 in Maharashtra and Gujarat.

While announcing the elections, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar stated that there are 174 million voters across these states. The work regarding the Special Summary Revision (SSR) of voter lists has been executed very effectively in these states. There are 824 Assembly seats across these states.

In these four states and the one Union Territory, the process of making significant, large-scale changes to the voter lists has already been completed, and the final voter rolls have been published.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accompanied by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, visited West Bengal on March 10 to review election preparations. They also visited other states that are preparing for elections.

Voting in Two Phases in Bengal

The West Bengal Legislative Assembly comprises 294 seats, where the primary contest is between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The TMC, led by Mamata Banerjee, has been governing the state since 2011. Voting in Bengal will be conducted in two phases. Voting will take place on 23 April and April 29. The counting of votes will be held on May 4. In West Bengal, voting will be conducted for 152 seats in the first phase and 142 seats in the second phase.

Voting in Assam on April 9

In Assam, the contest for 126 Assembly seats will be between the incumbent BJP-led NDA government and the Congress party. Voting in Assam will be held in a single phase on April 9.