LIVE: Kerala, Assam, Puducherry to vote on April 9; TN on April 23; Bengal on April 23 and 29
Results will be announced on May 4 for all the four states and one Union Territory; Model Code of Conduct sets in
The Election Commission on Sunday (March 15) announced the dates for Assembly elections in four states and a Union Territory. Polls are scheduled in West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam, and Puducherry.
The poll panel held a press conference to reveal the election schedule. The terms of the legislative assemblies in these regions are set to expire on different dates in May and June.
Assam - Voting on April 9, Thursday.
Kerala - Voting on April 9, Thursday.
Puducherry - Voting on April 9, Thursday.
Tamil Nadu - Voting on April 23, Thursday.
West Bengal - Voting across 2 phases.
Phase 1 - April 23, Thursday, for 152 seats.
Phase 2 - April 29, Wednesday, for 142 seats.
Counting for all four states and one UT on May 4, Thursday.
As part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter lists, the final electoral rolls for the four states and Puducherry have already been published.
Earlier this week, on Wednesday (March 11), the Election Commission held a key meeting in New Delhi to finalise the election schedule and phase-wise polling plan. The poll body also conducted a final ground-level review in the poll-bound areas.
Read the live updates below
Live Updates
- 15 March 2026 4:21 PM IST
Assured Minimum Facilities at polling booths
The CEC said the EC has ensured Assured Minimum Facilities (AMF) at Polling Stations for ease of voting and a smooth voting experience.
- 15 March 2026 4:20 PM IST
'EC has taken new initiatives to enhance election process'
The EC has taken new initiatives to enhance the election process, says the CEC. These include:
1. SIR
2. Place to deposit mobile phones outside the booth
3. Coloured photos of candidates on EVMs
4. Not more than 1200 electors in any booth
5. Voter info slip will have clear information slip with polling station number
6. One app - ECI Net for all stakeholder information
7. Total transparency in counting of votes
8. ID cards for booth-level officiers
9. Higher remuneration for electoral officers
10. Postal ballots to be counted across 2 rounds before the EVMs
- 15 March 2026 4:14 PM IST
SIR forms bedrock of our democracy: CEC
The CEC said pure electoral rolls form the "bedrock of our democracy". "No eligible elector should be left out and no ineligible voter should be included," he said.
Total 17.4 crore voters eligible to vote in elections to five assemblies with 824 constituencies: CEC
Voting to be held at 2.19 lakh polling stations across four states and one UT; 25 lakh election officials to be on duty: CEC
- 15 March 2026 4:10 PM IST
CEC lauds SIR process, EC officials
CEC Gyanesh Kumar lauds the SIR process, and the EC officials who carried out.
- 15 March 2026 4:03 PM IST
MCC stands for Modi’s Code of Campaigning: Jairam Ramesh
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said: "The Election Commission’s Model Code of Conduct (MCC) will soon come into effect. But since 2014 this has come to stand for Modi’s Code of Campaigning - which will be full of defamation, abuses, intimidation, fear-mongering, and spreading the virus of lies."
- 15 March 2026 4:01 PM IST
Mamata makes pre-MCC announcement
Hours ahead of the poll date announcement and onset of the Model Code of Conduction, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee acounced an increase of ₹500 in the monthly honorariums to purohits and muezzins. "With this revision, they will now receive ₹2,000 per month," she tweeted.
