New Delhi | Desk: Elections in West Bengal will be held in two phases; the first phase will be conducted on April 23, and the second phase on April 29. Meanwhile, elections in Assam will take place on April 9. The counting of votes across the five states will be conducted on May 4.

The Election Commission has officially announced the dates for the assembly elections to be held in four states and one Union Territory of India. With this announcement, the Model Code of Conduct has come into immediate effect in the respective states, under which governments and political parties will be bound to adhere to various regulations throughout the electoral process.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar shared details regarding the election dates and the entire process during a press conference held on Sunday at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.

He stated that this time, voting in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry will be conducted in separate phases.

Voting Dates

According to the schedule announced by the Election Commission, voting in Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry will take place in a single phase on April 9. In Tamil Nadu as well, votes will be cast in a single phase on April 23.

However, in West Bengal, the elections will be held in two phases: the first phase on April 23 and the second phase on April 29.

Additionally, by-elections will be held for a total of eight assembly seats across various states. Voting for these seats will be conducted on April 9 and April 23. The counting of votes for all state elections and by-elections will take place simultaneously on May 4, paving the way for the formation of new governments.

Political Landscape of the States

West Bengal

The West Bengal Legislative Assembly, comprising 294 seats, is currently governed by the Trinamool Congress (TMC). A majority in this House requires 148 seats, whereas the TMC currently holds approximately 223 MLAs.

In the 2021 assembly elections, the TMC won 213 seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured victory in 77 seats. The TMC government has been continuously in power in the state since 2011, and the party's leader, Mamata Banerjee, has served as Chief Minister for three terms.

The upcoming election in the state is widely regarded as a highly intriguing contest. On one hand, Mamata Banerjee is striving to bring her government back to power for a fourth term; on the other, the BJP is making an all-out effort to bring about a change in government.

The election took a new turn when former TMC leader Humayun Kabir broke away from the party to form his own new political outfit. He has attempted to forge distinct political equations in certain pockets of the state. It will now be interesting to observe which party stands to gain-and which to lose-from his new political strategy.

Tamil Nadu

In the 234-seat Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led alliance secured victory in 159 seats in the previous election, while the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) won 75 seats.

The state's incumbent Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin, is once again in the fray, aiming to bring his government back to power in this election as well.

The BJP, too, is actively engaged in efforts to strengthen its political footprint in South India. In the previous election, the party won 4 seats, whereas the Indian National Congress secured 18 seats.

This time around, the issue of delimitation (redrawing of constituencies) has also emerged as a major political talking point in the state. Stalin has accused the Central Government of attempting to dilute the political clout of the South Indian states. Consequently, the Tamil Nadu election is being viewed as significant from the perspective of national politics as well.

Kerala

In the 140-seat Kerala Legislative Assembly, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) emerged victorious in the previous election. This alliance captured 99 seats, while the United Democratic Front (UDF) secured 41 seats.

Typically, power in Kerala alternates between the LDF and the UDF; however, in the last election, the LDF made history by forming the government for a second consecutive term.

The BJP is also striving to consolidate its foothold in this state. In the previous election, the party fielded candidates in 115 constituencies; however, it failed to win a single seat, and many of its candidates forfeited their security deposits. For this reason, the upcoming election is being viewed as a matter of prestige for the BJP as well.

Assam

The current term of the 126-seat Assam Legislative Assembly is set to conclude on May 20, 2026.

The BJP, which first came to power in 2016, delivered a strong performance in the 2021 elections as well. At that time, the party contested 93 seats and won 60 of them. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the party, secured a total of 75 seats to form the government.

In recent times, issues concerning the minority community have been a subject of considerable discussion within the state. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has also found himself embroiled in controversies over several of his statements.

Meanwhile, the Congress party is also striving to make a comeback to power in the state. The party has appointed Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as the head of its election screening committee, and she has already commenced her tours of the state.

Puducherry

The Union Territory of Puducherry comprises a total of 30 Legislative Assembly seats.

In the 2021 elections, the BJP won 6 seats here, while the All India NR Congress (AINRC) secured 10 seats and the DMK won 6.

Despite being a small territory, the politics here often hinge on alliances between national and regional parties; consequently, political equations tend to shift rapidly with every election.