The Election Commission of India on Sunday announced assembly election dates for West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, and the union territory of Puducherry. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alongside his fellow Election Commissioners, confirmed that the Model Code of Conduct took effect across all five territories immediately upon the announcement.
The dates at a glance:
- Assam, Kerala, Puducherry: April 9
- Tamil Nadu: April 23
- West Bengal: April 23 and 29
- Results for all: May 4
All five go to the polls in a single phase except West Bengal, which votes across two dates.
In terms of assembly seats, Assam has 126 constituencies, Kerala 140, Tamil Nadu 234, West Bengal 294, and Puducherry 30. Electoral rolls for all four states and the UT were published as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voters’ lists, a nationwide exercise that wrapped up in February 2026. Supplementary lists for West Bengal are still to come.
Opposition takes aim at the Commission
The announcement drew immediate political fire. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged the poll schedule would only have been cleared after the ruling party finished “this round of inaugurations, ribbon-cuttings, flag-offs, and launches.” The party also took a swipe at the Model Code of Conduct, calling it “Modi’s Code of Campaigning.”
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut went further, calling the Commission an “extended branch” of the BJP and suggesting the press conference could just as well have been held at the BJP office.
West Bengal: TMC eyes fourth term amid SIR row
The SIR exercise has been a major flashpoint in West Bengal, dominating the pre-election period. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress have framed the voters’ list revision as a threat to Bengali identity and voters’ rights, turning it into a campaign issue. The TMC is now seeking a fourth consecutive term, with the BJP positioned as the principal opposition.
In 2021, the TMC won 213 of 294 seats. The BJP, despite a large-scale campaign, won 77. In 2016, the TMC had taken 211 seats while the BJP managed just three.
Tamil Nadu: Three-way battle this time
CM MK Stalin’s DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance is looking for a second consecutive term. The AIADMK, allied with the BJP, is the main challenger. But this election has a new variable — actor-turned-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has entered the fray, turning what was a straight two-sided contest into a potential three-cornered race.
In 2021, the DMK won 133 of 234 seats on its own, with the full alliance reaching 159. The AIADMK won 66 seats; the BJP, allied with the AIADMK at the time, won just four.
Kerala: LDF chasing an unprecedented third term
The CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front is attempting something no ruling front in Kerala has done before a third consecutive majority. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who turns 83 in May, is leading the LDF’s campaign, though whether he would serve out a full term has become a recurring question in political circles.
The LDF’s 2021 win 99 of 140 seats against the Congress-led UDF’s 41 was itself historic, the first time any ruling front in Kerala had won back-to-back majorities.
Assam: BJP seeks third term; opposition regroups
The BJP-led NDA, which won 75 of 126 seats in 2021 under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, is seeking a third straight term. Sarma has said the party will release its full candidate list in a single announcement by March 16 or 17.
On the other side, Congress revived the Asom Sonmilito Morcha in November 2025, pulling together eight parties against the BJP. Raijor Dal has since walked out over seat-sharing disagreements. Congress has released two candidate lists covering 65 seats, with 15 constituencies left for alliance partners to contest.
Puducherry
In the UT, the AINRC-led NDA won 16 of 30 seats in the 2021 election.