Kerala, Assam, Puducherry Head to Polls Tomorrow; Bypolls Across Three States as Goa Election Scrapped

Voters across India will exercise their franchise on April 9 as assembly elections unfold simultaneously in Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry, while bypolls take place in Nagaland, Karnataka, and Tripura. The Election Commission has scheduled polling from 7 am to 6 pm in all states, with security beefed up and electronic voting machines already dispatched to polling personnel.

Assam: 722 Candidates, 2.5 Crore Voters

Assam’s 126-seat assembly goes to the polls in a single phase Thursday, with 722 candidates in contention across 31,940 polling stations spread over 35 districts. The state government has declared a public holiday for offices, educational institutions, and business establishments. Of the 2.50 crore-strong electorate, over 6.42 lakh voters fall in the 18-19 age bracket. The electoral battle has largely revolved around Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s governance record and the Congress challenge spearheaded by Gaurav Gogoi, with the BJP and Congress exchanging sharp allegations through the campaign.

Kerala: 883 Candidates Across 140 Constituencies

Following nearly a month of intensive campaigning, Kerala’s 2.71 crore voters will determine the fate of 883 candidates contesting across all 140 constituencies. While the contest is technically triangular, it remains anchored in the state’s familiar LDF-UDF bipolar dynamic. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s Left Front has built its campaign around a decade of governance, spotlighting infrastructure projects and welfare delivery.

Puducherry: NDA Defends, INDIA Bloc Challenges, TVK Adds New Variable

Roughly 9.5 lakh voters in Puducherry and its enclaves Karaikal, Mahe, and Yanam will choose from 294 candidates contesting 30 assembly seats. A total of 1,099 polling stations have been established, of which 209 are classified as vulnerable and placed under heightened security. The NDA alliance comprising AINRC, BJP, AIADMK, and LJK is defending its position, while the INDIA bloc of Congress, DMK, and VCK mounts a strong counter. Actor Vijay’s newly launched TVK has emerged as a notable third force, fielding candidates across constituencies.

Nagaland: Security Tightened After Violence

The Koridang assembly seat in Nagaland’s Mokokchung district goes to a bypoll Thursday, necessitated by the death of sitting BJP MLA Imkong L. Imchen in November last year. Six candidates are in contention, including the late MLA’s son Daochier I. Imchen fielded by the BJP, and T. Chalukumba Ao nominated by Congress. Night curfew has been imposed in four villages following election-related violence that claimed one life. The constituency has 22,382 registered voters, with votes to be counted on May 4.

Karnataka: Two Seats, Nearly 5 Lakh Voters

Bypolls in Karnataka’s Bagalkot and Davanagere South assembly segments were triggered by the deaths of senior Congress MLAs H Y Meti and Shamanur Shivashankarappa respectively. Over 4.9 lakh combined voters will cast ballots across 603 polling stations nine candidates contest in Bagalkot and 25 in Davanagere South. Counting is set for May 4.

Tripura: Dharmanagar Votes After Speaker’s Death

North Tripura’s Dharmanagar assembly seat heads to a bypoll with 46,142 voters choosing among six candidates. The vacancy arose following the death of BJP leader and Assembly Speaker Biswa Bandhu Sen in December last year.

Goa: Bombay High Court Scraps Ponda Bypoll

In a last-minute development, the Bombay High Court quashed the Election Commission’s notification for the Ponda assembly bypoll in Goa just a day before scheduled voting, citing a legal violation on grounds that the assembly’s term is set to expire within a year. The court declined to stay its own order despite postal ballots having already been cast.

(With inputs from agencies)