823 seats, five major contests: Counting of votes for Assembly polls, including Assam, begins tomorrow

The stage is set for counting of votes for the Assembly elections held across Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and the Union Territory of Puducherry over the past month, with authorities completing preparations ahead of the declaration of results on May 4.

Polling for the 2026 Assembly elections was conducted between April 9 and April 29 across the four states and Puducherry. Assam, Kerala and Puducherry voted in a single phase on April 9, while Tamil Nadu and the first phase of polling in West Bengal were held on April 23. The second phase of voting took place on April 29.

A total of 823 Assembly seats went to polls during the election process.

West Bengal witnessed intense political confrontation during the campaign period, with repolling ordered in three constituencies — Falta, Diamond Harbour and Magrahat Paschim. The contest in the state remained centred around the fierce political rivalry between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), with both parties exchanging allegations throughout the campaign.

The outcome in West Bengal is being closely watched as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee seeks another term in office. In Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin is aiming to retain power for the DMK-led alliance, while Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan are also seeking renewed mandates in their respective states.

Exit polls released after the conclusion of polling have projected varied outcomes across the states.
In West Bengal, several exit polls predicted gains for the BJP and indicated the possibility of an upset for the TMC. However, some surveys suggested that the TMC could still secure a fourth consecutive term in office. Mamata Banerjee has rejected the exit poll projections adverse to her party and maintained that the TMC would secure more than 200 seats.

In Kerala, most exit polls projected a victory for the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). Axis My India estimated the UDF tally between 78 and 90 seats in the 140-member Assembly, while the Manorama C-Voter survey projected between 94 seats for the alliance. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) was projected to win between 44 and 62 seats by various pollsters. Most surveys indicated that the BJP-led NDA could remain a marginal force, though it may open its account in the state Assembly.

Assam emerged as the only state where most pollsters predicted a clear return of the BJP-led NDA government under Himanta Biswa Sarma. Axis My India projected the NDA to secure between 88 and 100 seats, while the Congress-led alliance was estimated to win between 24 and 36 seats. Matrize projected the NDA tally between 85 and 95 seats, with the Congress alliance expected to secure between 25 and 32 seats.

In Tamil Nadu, most exit polls predicted another term for the DMK-led alliance under M.K. Stalin. However, some surveys indicated the possibility of a strong performance by actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). Axis My India projected TVK to secure between 98 and 120 seats, while the DMK alliance was estimated to win between 92 and 100 seats. The AIADMK-led NDA alliance was projected to secure between 22 and 32 seats.

In Puducherry, exit polls suggested that the NDA was likely to retain power. According to the People’s Pulse survey, the NDA alliance was projected to secure between 15 and 19 seats in the 30-member Assembly, placing it in a strong position to form the government once again.

Security arrangements have been tightened at counting centres across all states and the Union Territory as authorities prepare for the counting process scheduled to begin tomorrow morning.