Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
While performance politics remains relevant, there is a sense in which politicians feel they will only get to “perform” if they can first mobilise votes through identity-based appeals. (File Photo)
Assembly Election Exit Poll Results 2026: West Bengal is set to vote in the second and final phase of its Assembly elections on Wednesday, with the polling scheduled to take place from 7 am to 6 pm. Meanwhile, voting for the 2026 Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry concluded on April 9 with high turnout, marking a crucial political test ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha polls, with results due on May 4. Exit polls for all the Assembly elections held in West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Assam will be out by tomorrow evening, indicating first estimates of the winning candidates across the states.
While the first phase on April 23 gauged the BJP’s strength in north Bengal and nearby regions, the final phase shifts the contest firmly to the TMC’s core areas, including Kolkata, Howrah, North and South 24 Parganas, Nadia, Hooghly and Purba Bardhaman.
Bengal’s voters will be electing 142 MLAs while also shaping the larger political outcome: whether the TMC retains its stronghold or the BJP makes a decisive push towards the state secretariat, Nabanna.
Ahead of second phase voting, polling parties across the states have been sent to their respective booths with EVMs, VVPATs, and other equipment.
In Assam, the BJP is aiming for a third term amid a sharply polarised campaign dominated by identity politics and personal allegations, while in Kerala, the LDF under Pinarayi Vijayan is seeking a rare third consecutive term against a resurgent Congress-led UDF and an ambitious BJP.
Assam and Puducherry recorded their highest-ever voter turnout at around 85% and nearly 90%, respectively, while Kerala also saw an increased turnout of about 78%, higher than 2021.
The polls marked the first elections after electoral roll revisions in Kerala and Puducherry and post-delimitation in Assam, with women voters outnumbering men in participation across all three regions, and voting remaining largely peaceful despite minor incidents.
Tamil Nadu, also, recorded a historic 84.6% —the highest since 1952—as voters across 234 constituencies turned out in large numbers to decide the fate of over 4,000 candidates in a multi-cornered contest involving the DMK-led alliance, AIADMK-BJP combine, TVK and NTK.
Leaders across parties claimed the strong turnout reflected support for their side, making the outcome a crucial test of whether the DMK retains power or the opposition stages a comeback.
The latest exit poll results can be checked at the Indian Express website (indianexpress.com). We will bring you the latest, verified information via the live blogs and on our social handles.
Election Commission guidelines
Ahead of the final phase of West Bengal polls, the Election Commission has also issued key guidelines for voters to ensure smooth voting. Voters must carry valid ID (not just voter slips), avoid taking phones, smartwatches or political symbols inside booths, and refrain from photography, which is a legal offence.
Restrictions like limits on bike movement and group riding are in place, while the ECINET app can help locate booths and check queues.
Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram