The Election Commission of India on Sunday announced the schedule for the 2026 general elections to the legislative assemblies of Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, setting the stage for one of the largest democratic exercises in the country this year. The counting of votes for all five states and the Union Territory will take place on May 4.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, addressed a press conference to unveil the election programme.
The Commission said the polls will involve 17.4 crore electors, spread across 824 assembly constituencies, with voting to take place at 2.19 lakh polling stations and nearly 25 lakh election officials deployed to conduct the exercise.
Calling elections in India a festival of democracy, Kumar said the process belongs to every citizen of the country and reiterated the Commission’s commitment to conducting peaceful and inducement-free polls.
Extensive preparations
Kumar said that in the days leading up to the announcement, the Commission visited all poll-bound states and held detailed consultations with key officials and stakeholders.
The Commission met district electoral officers, nodal officers, chief secretaries and directors general of police, and also interacted with young and first-time voters during the visits. The purpose of these interactions, he said, was to assess ground preparedness and ensure that all administrative and security arrangements are in place for the upcoming elections.
Poll Schedule
The elections will be held in a mix of single and multi-phase formats across the five states.
In Assam, which has 126 assembly constituencies, polling will be held in one phase on April 9, with counting on May 4.
In Kerala, elections to the 140-member assembly will also be conducted on April 9, with votes to be counted on May 4.
The Union Territory of Puducherry, which has 30 assembly seats, will have polls on April 9, with the results declared on May 4.
In Tamil Nadu, where the assembly has 234 constituencies, voting will be held on April 23, and the counting of votes will take place on May 4.
The elections in West Bengal, which has 294 assembly constituencies, will be conducted in two phases. Polling for 152 seats will take place on April 23, while the remaining 142 constituencies will vote on April 29. Counting will be held on May 4.
Responding to a question about the reduced number of phases in West Bengal, where earlier elections were held in as many as eight phases, Kumar said it was necessary to reduce the number of phases to an extent so that it is convenient to everybody.
Focus on peaceful and fair polls
The Chief Election Commissioner said the Commission will ensure that elections in all these states and the Union Territory are violence-free and inducement-free, warning that strict action would be taken in cases of violations.
He added that the Model Code of Conduct has come into force immediately following the announcement of the poll schedule.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar clarified that the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) becomes applicable only after the announcement of the election schedule.
Responding to a question on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s decision to announce a dearness allowance (DA) hike ahead of the poll dates, Kumar said actions taken before the MCC comes into force fall within the prerogative of the concerned government. “The Model Code of Conduct is applicable from now, so actions taken before its enforcement are the prerogative of the concerned government,” he said.
With the schedule now announced, the MCC has come into immediate effect in all poll-bound states.
Tackling misinformation and political violence
The Commission also flagged concerns about misinformation and deepfakes, saying strict vigilance mechanisms are in place to deal with such challenges during the campaign period.
Kumar emphasised that the Commission would take note of speeches and political conduct only after the Model Code of Conduct becomes applicable.
He also issued a warning against political violence, stating that the Commission will not tolerate violence and will take action wherever required.
Constitutional mandate
Referring to the constitutional framework governing elections, Kumar said Article 326 of the Constitution of India empowers the Election Commission to determine who is eligible to vote in India, reinforcing the institutional basis of the electoral process.
Improving voter turnout reporting
The Commission also said steps are being taken to reduce the time lag in reporting voter turnout figures. According to the Commission, presiding officers will first complete the required documentation and lists before leaving polling stations, which is expected to streamline the reporting process.
The upcoming elections are politically significant as they will determine the governments in five politically crucial regions of India, including major states such as Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala and Assam, which together account for a large share of India’s electorate and have diverse political landscapes.
With 17.4 crore voters eligible to cast their ballots, the elections represent one of the largest democratic exercises in the country.