Polling begins today in Kerala, Assam, Puducherry for Assembly elections

High-stakes polls in Kerala, Assam and Puducherry test incumbents, opposition strength and shifting political dynamics across key regions

Kerala is all set for a crucial Assembly election on Thursday, with 27.1 million voters poised to cast their votes in a decisive contest that will test the ruling Left Democratic Front’s (LDF) bid for a third consecutive term, the Opposition United Democratic Front’s (UDF) comeback prospects, and the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA’S) push to open its account in the state. 

After nearly a month of intense campaigning, the southern state will go to the polls in a single phase, with voting to be held from 7 am to 6 pm across all 140 constituencies where 883 candidates are in the fray. 

 

The electorate comprises 13.2 million men, 13.9 million women and 273 transgender persons, along with over 242,000 overseas voters, underlining the scale of the electoral exercise, according to Election Commission figures. 

The contest, though triangular, is rooted in Kerala’s traditionally bipolar political landscape, where power has largely alternated between the LDF and the UDF. 

The outcome of this election will indicate whether that pattern holds or if the state is headed towards a shift. 

Led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the Left Front has foregrounded its 10-year governance record, highlighting infrastructure development, welfare schemes and crisis management. The UDF has also attempted to sharpen its political messaging by alleging an understanding between the CPI(M) and the BJP, while accusing the Left of links with outfits like the SDPI, the political arm of the banned Islamist outfit Popular Front of India (PFI). 

In Assam, more than 150,000 security personnel have been deployed as part of arrangements for Thursday's polling in Assam that will decide the fate of 722 candidates hoping to enter the 126-member state Assembly. 

Officials said 31,940 polling stations have been set up in 35 districts for the single-phase polling. Micro-observers have been deputed in sensitive polling stations. 

The results will be declared on May 4. 

While most personnel set out for the polling stations on Wednesday morning, those deployed in remote areas such as Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao districts left on Tuesday itself, Chief Electoral Officer Anurag Goel said. 

As many as 25 million electorate, which comprises 12.5 million men, 12.5 million women and 318 from the transgender community, will decide the fate of the 722 candidates in the fray. Among the electorate, 63,423 are service voters, 642,314 voters are in the age group of 18-19 years, 250,006 are above 80 years of age, and 205,085 are persons with disabilities.In Puducherry, around 950,000 voters will decide the electoral fate of 294 candidates in the Assembly elections on April 9 and all arrangements have been made for smooth conduct of polls, CEO P Jawahar said on Wednesday. 

The polling will begin at 7 am in Puducherry and its enclaves of Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam, which together have 30 Assembly seats. The union territory has 1,099 polling stations and of them 209 have been identified as vulnerable.