Counting of votes will begin at 8 am for the 2026 Assembly elections held in West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry, with early trends set to indicate the political direction in the 4 states and 1 Union Territory. The Election Commission announced the election schedule for these 5 assemblies on March 15.
The results are crucial for the BJP-led NDA, the Congress-led alliances, the Left, the TMC, the DMK, the AIADMK and several regional players.
The 2026 Assembly elections cover 4 states and 1 Union Territory: Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry. These polls are politically important because they test the strength of the national parties, regional parties and ruling state governments across eastern, southern and north eastern India.
West Bengal
West Bengal remains one of the most closely watched elections, with the TMC and BJP locked in a high-stakes battle. Ahead of counting, the Election Commission ordered repolling at 15 booths in South 24 Parganas district, including 11 booths in Magrahat Paschim and 4 in Diamond Harbour. The repolling was scheduled for May 2. The state voted in a two-phase election on April 23 and April 29, respectively.
On May 2, the Supreme Court also declined to issue further orders on a TMC plea regarding the deployment of central government staff for vote counting, after the Election Commission gave its assurance on implementing its circular.
Assam
Assam is one of the key contests, with the BJP-led NDA seeking to retain power. Exit poll projections have indicated an advantage for the NDA, but the final seat count will be known only after the ECI counting. The state result will show whether the BJP can secure another term in the Northeast.
Kerala
Kerala is seeing a direct fight between the CPI(M) led Left Democratic Front, LDF, and the Congress-led United Democratic Front, UDF. Exit polls have suggested a close contest, with some projections giving the UDF an edge. The final result will decide whether Kerala continues with the LDF or returns to its traditional pattern of alternating governments.
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu’s contest is centred on the DMK-led alliance, the AIADMK and emerging political forces. Exit polls have projected that the DMK alliance may retain power, while Vijay’s TVK is being watched as a new entrant in the state’s political landscape. The final figures will show whether the DMK can hold its mandate and how much space new parties have been able to create.
Puducherry
Puducherry, with a smaller Assembly, is also part of the 2026 election cycle. The contest is expected to involve the BJP led alliance, Congress led bloc and regional players. Exit poll projections have suggested an NDA advantage in the Union Territory, but the official party wise result will be available only after ECI counting.
The official results on May 4 will decide government formation in all 5 regions. The key numbers to watch will be total seats won by each party, alliance majority marks, vote share, margins in close constituencies and whether exit poll trends match the final ECI data. Until then, all projections remain estimates and not official results.
Stay tuned with IndiaTVNews.com for all the latest updates on the assembly election results 2026
