The polling for the high-stakes assembly elections in Kerala, Puducherry, and Assam ends. The voting started around 7 am, and continued till 5 pm in Assam and till 6 pm in Kerala and Puducherry. In Kerala, Chief Minister P Vijayan-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) is looking to retain power in the state for a third straight time. As per the Election Commission of India (ECI), around 1.32 crore men, 1.39 crore women and 273 transgender persons are eligible to cast their votes to decide the fate of 883 candidates for 140 assembly seats.
Talking about Assam, the contest here is directly between the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Congress-led coalition. The NDA, under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, is looking for a third straight term. As per the poll body, 2.50 crore people can cast their votes to decide the fate of 722 candidates for 126 assembly constituencies.
The contest in Puducherry is also between the NDA and the opposition bloc, which comprises the Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). The NDA, under CM NR Rangasamy, is eyeing a second straight term, while the Congress hopes to wrest control of the union territory. The poll body has said that these elections will decide the fate of 294 candidates for 30 assembly seats, with more than 9.5 crore people being eligible to exercise their franchise.