In a matter of a few hours, the fate of who will take charge in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Assam and West Bengal will be decided, with candidates and voters bracing for a decisive verdict.
The Election Commission of India has confirmed that counting of votes will begin tomorrow morning under tight security. An intense power tussle was witnessed in 4 states and 1 Union Territory. Assembly elections 2026 were held between April 9 and April 29 for a total of 823 seats.
Counting of votes will begin at 8 am, starting with the postal ballots, at the counting centres, which will have a three-tier security system. The Election Commission, for the first time, has introduced a QR code-based Photo Identity Card system through ECINET to prevent unauthorised entry into counting centres.
Assam:
Officials have made arrangements in place for the counting of votes of all 126 seats, which will be held at 40 counting centres across all 35 districts amid tight security. Polling in Assam was held on April 9 with an 85.96 per cent voter turnout.
West Bengal:
In West Bengal, officials confirmed that arrangements are in place at 77 counting centres across the state, with multi-layered security in place to ensure transparency. 432 counting observers (COs) have also been deployed for the smooth counting of votes. The highest-ever voter turnout of 92.47 per cent was recorded in the state.
Tamil Nadu:
As per AIR, in Tamil Nadu, a total of 10, 545 counting personnel will be deployed for counting duty, supported by 4,624 micro-observers. 234 counting observers too have been deployed, one for each Assembly constituency.
Kerala:
In Kerala, counting of votes in all 140 Assembly constituencies will begin at 8 am across 43 locations in the state, mentioned CEO Rathan U Kelkar. Kerala's voter turnout has also tentatively risen to 79.70 per cent after the inclusion of service voters' postal ballots. A total of 15,465 counting personnel have been deployed, while 32,301 police personnel have been deployed for security at counting centres.
Puducherry:
Six counting centres have been set up across the Union Territory. Puducherry Chief Electoral Officer P Jawahar on Saturday said elaborate arrangements are in place for the counting of votes polled in the April 9 assembly elections.
(With inputs from PTI)
