Assembly Elections 2026 Dates Announced: CEC Gyanesh Kumar at the press conference at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi. (Source: YouTube/ECI)Election Date 2026 Live Updates: Kerala, Assam, TN and Puducherry will vote in single phase while West Bengal will vote in two phases, the Election Commission (EC) of India announced on Sunday. Counting for all four states and one union territory will be held on May 4. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, announced the polling schedule in a press conference at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi.
Poll dates: Tamil Nadu goes to polls on April 23, while voting for Kerala, Assam and Puducherry will be held on April 9. The two phases of voting for West Bengal will be held on April 23 and 29. The elections in four states and a UT together will cover more than 800 Assembly seats. The terms of these Assemblies end in May this year. The announcement included details of the phases of polling and the counting schedule.
First major polls after roll revision: These elections will be the first major test after the Election Commission of India carried out a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in several states. The exercise required voters to submit enumeration forms and documents to verify eligibility.
Seat-sharing talks in the NDA in Tamil Nadu for the April 23 Assembly polls will happen soon, AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami, whose party leads the bloc, said here on Sunday.
Still there are 15 days left for the filing of nominations as per the schedule given by the Election Commission, he said after taking part in an Iftar function.
The Election Commission (EC) has directed central investigative and security agencies to mount a special vigil and take "proactive" measures to check the use of black money, drugs and other illegal inducements during the upcoming polls to five legislative assemblies.
On the announcement of dates of polls in 5 states/UTs, Congress leader Pawan Khera says, "Such decisions should be taken with sensitivity. In Kerala, there is an issue. Easter is coming in just 23 days. So the election commission should do widespread consultations with all the stakeholders before announcing these dates, because the local sensibilities have to be respected..." On SIR, he says, "We are questioning this exercise (SIR) because in the last six months, our experience has been that this exercise is targeted to delete votes, not to add votes, and the deletion is also very deliberate, very targeted. Therefore, we have been raising questions about this exercise."
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js#watch | Guwahati, Assam | On the announcement of dates of polls in 5 states/UTs, Congress leader Pawan Khera says, "Such decisions should be taken with sensitivity. In Kerala, there is an issue. Easter is coming in just 23 days. So the election commission should do widespread… pic.twitter.com/STYX8PDRKK
— ANI (@ANI) March 15, 2026
Maharashtra CM Fadnavis said all efforts would be made to ensure the bypolls to Baramati and Rahuri assembly seats are held unopposed through consensus, but asserted the BJP was ready if it comes down to a contest.
CEC Gyanesh Kumar announced during the day that bypolls to Baramati in Pune and Rahuri in Ahilyanagar, necessitated by the deaths of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and BJP legislator Shivaji Kardile, respectively, will be held on April 23.
LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said seat sharing in the Front has been completed on time, and clarity is required for only a few seats.
"Even though the seat-sharing consensus has been reached in the Front, candidates are being decided by the respective parties. They will announce candidates separately," he said.
Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, V D Satheesan, said the UDF will contest the elections as a united team.
"It is the team UDF that is facing the election. We will return to power with over 100 seats," he said.
Satheesan said there are no differences within the Congress or the UDF over seat sharing.
Political parties in Assam asserted on Sunday that they are fully prepared for the Assembly elections to be held in a single phase on April 9, with the opposition camp urging the Election Commission to ensure free and fair polls.
They maintained that the short period in the run-up to the elections will not hamper poll prospects in any manner.
BJP senior spokesperson Rupam Goswami claimed the public has already made their choice and the party is confident of forming the government for a third straight time in the state.
"As a party, the BJP is always ready to face any elections. Our preparations are complete. The candidate list will also be declared soon," he told PTI.
Union minister Ramdas Athawale expressed confidence that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will sweep the upcoming assembly elections in different states and one Union Territory.
"In the five poll-bound states and UT, our alliance (NDA) will definitely come in power except Kerala where we are also continuing our efforts to wrest power," Athawale told reporters.
Tamil Nadu's ruling party, DMK, main opposition AIADMK and other political parties on Sunday welcomed the announcement of the election schedule by the EC and expressed confidence of winning the April 23 polls.
The preparations for polls actually started from the day Stalin assumed office as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu. "The DMK would secure a huge victory in the polls...it will be a sweep; winning more than 200 seats out of the 234," party office-bearer Salem Dharanidharan said.
CPI, the second biggest party in the ruling LDF will contest in 25 seats. All four CPI ministers are contesting.
CPI(M) Kerala state Secretary MV Govindan announces party candidates in 75 constituencies. He also named six party backed independents. Five more independents will be named later, Govindan said.
Meaning, CPI(M) will be contesting in 86 seats (75+11 independents).
The 81 candidates announced by CPM today includes 56 sitting MLAs.
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan will contest from Dharmadam segment in Kannur, CPI(M) announces.
CPI(M) says senior leader K K Shailaja will contest from Peravoor assembly constituency in Kannur, Kerala
Minutes after the announcement of the Assembly poll schedule, the Aam Aadmi Party announced its first list of 14 candidates, including its state vice-president Anurupa Dekaraja, for the Assam assembly elections to be held on April 9.
All the constituencies included on the list are located in the Brahmaputra valley.
The CPI announced candidates in 25 constituencies for the Kerala Assembly elections to be held on April 9.
CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam announced the candidates minutes after the Election Commission declared the poll schedule.
The party has fielded four incumbent ministers-G R Anil, J Chinchurani, K Rajan and P Prasad-in the polls.
The list also includes legislators who have completed two consecutive terms, including K Rajan, Mohammed Muhsin, E T Taison and V R Sunil Kumar.
The BJP’s immediate priorities are clear: retain Assam, win Bengal or at the very least improve its position in the state, and expand its footprint in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Read my colleagues' analysis on BJP's Assembly poll battle plan.
Govts can take any policy decision in their wisdom before polls are announced, but any inducement not allowed during model code, says CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
Earlier in the day, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee announced an increase of Rs 500 in the monthly honorarium for purohits and muezzins.
When the ECI was asked why the number of phases in West Bengal has been brought down to two (from eight), CEC Gyanesh Kumar said the poll body found it necessary to reduce the number of phases and "bring it down to an extent where it was convenient for everybody."
"Elections across all four states and one UT must be free of violence or inducement, EC will take strong action against any violation," CEC said.
Bye-elections will be conducted on April 9 and April 23, CEC Gyanesh Kumar stated.
Poll schedule for Tamil Nadu
West Bengal will go to polls in two phases on April 23 and April 29. Here is the complete schedule:
Counting of votes for all 824 seats across four states and one UT will be on May 4, CEC Gyanesh Kumar says at the press conference.
Here is the poll schedule for Tamil Nadu
Poll schedule for Kerala
Here is the poll schedule for Assam
Kerala, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry will vote in single phase, while West Bengal will vote in two phases on April 23 and 29.
New initiatives taken up by the ECI to "strengthen the process":
To maintain uniformity in polling process, training effort has been undertaken which included training BLOs, police, DOs, communication officers, and more, says CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
General overview of tenure across states-
The average number of electors per polling station is 750-900 across Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, said CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
Pure electoral rolls form the bedrock of our democracy, no eligible elector should be left out and no ineligible voter should be included, CEC Gyanesh Kumar stated at the beginning of his address.
2.18 lakh polling stations will be set up, CEC Gyanesh Kumar says in the press conference.
CEC Gyanesh Kumar has said that around 17.4 crore voters will be be casting their votes across West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.
CEC Gyanesh Kumar begins the press conference by highlighting the importance of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of rolls and congratulating BLOs and all election officials involved in SIR work.
Polling in West Bengal, Assam and Tamil Nadu is likely to be held in more than one phase each, while Kerala and Puducherry are expected to vote in a single phase.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, will announce the polling and other important dates related to the elections in a press conference at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi.
Hours before the announcement of assembly poll dates, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee announced an increase of Rs 500 in the monthly honorarium for purohits and muezzins. Now, beneficiaries will receive Rs 2,000 a month.
"I am pleased to announce an increase of Rs 500 in the monthly honorarium extended to our purohits and muezzins, whose service sustains the spiritual and social life of our communities. With this revision, they will now receive Rs 2,000 per month," she said in a post on X.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsI am happy to announce that our Ma-Mati-Manush government has delivered on its promise to all its employees and pensioners, and to lakhs of teachers and non-teaching staff of our educational institutions, as well as employees/ pensioners of our other grant-in-aid instititions…
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) March 15, 2026
Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said the opposition UDF is fully prepared for the upcoming Kerala Assembly election and that the front would announce its candidates soon after the poll schedule is declared.
Speaking to reporters, Chennithala said many had expected the announcement of the election dates in the first week of March.
Chennithala said the UDF has completed all preparations for the elections and expressed confidence that the state is ready for a political change.
"Kerala is all set, and we are also set. The state is ready for a political change," he said.
Good afternoon!
The Election Commission (EC) of India is all set to announce the schedule for Assembly elections in four states -- West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Assam -- and a union territory, Puducherry, at 4 pm today.
Follow this space as our team brings you live updates on the poll schedule.
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