March 16, 2026 : The Election Commission of India has announced the schedule for Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and the Union Territory of Puducherry. The elections will largely be conducted in a single phase, while West Bengal will go to the polls in two phases.
Announcing the schedule in New Delhi, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said polling in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry will be held on April 9. Voting in Tamil Nadu will take place on April 23.
In West Bengal, polling will be conducted in two phases on April 23 and April 29. The first phase will cover 152 Assembly constituencies, while the remaining 142 constituencies will vote in the second phase.
Counting of votes for all five assemblies will be held on May 4.
The Election Commission said the notification for Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry will be issued today. The notification for Tamil Nadu and the first phase of polling in West Bengal will be issued on March 30, while the notification for the second phase in West Bengal will be issued on April 2.
With the announcement of the poll schedule, the Model Code of Conduct has come into immediate effect in the concerned states and the Union Territory.
The Chief Election Commissioner said more than 17 crore voters are eligible to participate in the elections across 824 constituencies. This includes over six crore voters in West Bengal, nearly six crore in Tamil Nadu, nearly three crore in Kerala, more than two crore in Assam and over nine lakh voters in Puducherry.
More than two lakh polling stations will be set up, and around 25 lakh election officials will be deployed to conduct the elections smoothly.
Mr Kumar said directions have been issued to ensure assured minimum facilities at all polling stations, including drinking water, toilets and proper signage. He also said the Commission has recently introduced 30 new initiatives to make the electoral process more transparent.
To improve monitoring, the Commission will ensure 100 percent webcasting at polling stations. Each polling station will have a maximum of 1,200 electors.
The Chief Election Commissioner noted that the term of the 294-member West Bengal Legislative Assembly ends on May 7, while the 126-member Assam Assembly’s term ends on May 20. The 140-member Kerala Assembly will complete its term on May 23, the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly on May 10, and the 30-member Puducherry Assembly on June 15.
Speaking about the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, Mr Kumar said accurate voter lists are the foundation of a healthy democracy. He said the exercise is being carried out under Article 326 of the Constitution to ensure that no eligible voter is left out and no ineligible name is included in the electoral rolls.
He also urged young and first-time voters to participate actively in the democratic process and cast their votes with pride, responsibility and confidence.
