Assembly Elections 2026 LIVE updates: Assam, Kerala and Puducherry go to polls in a single phase today

1 hour ago 4

ARTICLE AD BOX

A key contest among the bypolls is for the Baramati seat which fell vacant after elected MLA and Maharashtra's deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash

Updated - April 09, 2026 06:12 am IST

Preparations underway on the eve of voting in the Kerala Assembly election, in Thiruvananthapuram, on April 8, 2026.. | Photo Credit: PTI

Kicking off the Assembly election season, Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry are going to polls on Thursday (April 9, 2026) in a single phase. Voting will take place from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the results will be declared on May 4.

Editorial | Two plus one: On the April 9 Assembly elections in Kerala, Assam and Puducherry

The high-stakes elections to the 126-member Assam Assembly commences with the BJP eyeing a third straight term in power. The Kerala polls across 140 Assembly constituencies feature contests between three fronts: the CPI(M)-led LDF, the Congress-led UDF and the BJP-led NDA

Also read | Assembly Elections: Know the documents required for voting

Voting is set to take place for 30 seats in Puducherry. The Union Territory is currently governed by a coalition led by the All India N. R. Congress (AINRC), with Chief Minister N. Rangasamy at the helm and BJP backing.

Also read | Kerala Assembly elections: On silent campaign day, war of words rages on

Further, the bypolls to several Assembly constituencies across Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Nagaland and Tripura are also being held on Thursday (April 9, 2026). Key contests include Karnataka’s Davangere South and Bagalkot constituencies, and the Baramati seat which fell vacant after elected MLA and the deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash. The Bomay High Court declared the poll body’s notification for Ponda by-election in Goa as invalid, cancelling the April 9 poll.

Also read | What happens inside a poll booth? A simple guide for new voters

Follow live updates

April 09, 2026 06:12
Foreign delegates to witness Assembly polls
As many as 43 delegates from 23 countries, including representatives from five foreign missions, will be visiting Assam, Kerala and Puducherry to witness the Assembly elections up close.
The delegates are part of the International Election Visitors’ Programme-2026, the Election Commission said. On Tuesday (April 7, 2026), the delegates were given a demonstration of the EVM at the poll panel’s training arm, India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM). They took part in the mock poll using the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to get a hands-on experience of the voting process.
In the first phase, the delegates of the programme will visit Assam, Kerala and Puducherry on April 8-9.
PTI
April 09, 2026 06:12
Assembly Elections 2026: Assam, Kerala and Puducherry go to polls
Public campaigning for the April 9 Assembly elections in Kerala, Assam and Puducherry concluded on Tuesday and voting will take place in a single phase across all three regions — 126 seats in Assam, 140 in Kerala, and 30 in Puducherry.
Know the documents required for voting
Assembly Elections 2026: What are the documents required for voting
Find out the essential documents needed for voting in the 2026 Assembly Elections across Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu.