Democracy in Action: Voters Turn Out in Huge Numbers Across 3 States
Apr 10, (BNP): Polling for the 2026 Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, and the Union Territory of Puducherry progressed smoothly on Thursday, recording strong voter participation across all regions.
According to the Election Commission of India, voter turnout by 5 p.m. stood at 84.42% in Assam, 75.01% in Kerala, and 86.92% in Puducherry, reflecting robust public engagement in the democratic process.
In Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma cast his vote in Jalukbari, a constituency he has represented since 2001. He was accompanied by his family and earlier offered prayers at the revered Kamakhya Temple. Jalukbari continues to remain his political stronghold over the past two decades.
Polling is being conducted for 126 Assembly seats in Assam, 140 in Kerala, and 30 in Puducherry, with counting of votes scheduled for May 4.
Kerala witnessed participation from over 2.69 crore eligible voters across 140 constituencies, including more than 1.38 crore women, 1.31 crore men, and 277 third-gender voters. Around 4.24 lakh voters are in the 18–19 age group, while over 2 lakh are above 85 years. A total of 30,471 polling stations were set up. The electoral battle is primarily between the Left Democratic Front led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the Congress-led United Democratic Front.
Assam has over 2.5 crore eligible voters, with 722 candidates contesting across 126 seats. The electorate includes more than 1.25 crore male and 1.25 crore female voters, along with 318 transgender and over 63,000 service voters. Notably, 6.42 lakh voters are aged 18–19, while more than 2.5 lakh are above 80 years. Webcasting was enabled at all 31,490 polling stations, with 1.51 lakh personnel deployed to ensure smooth conduct. The contest is mainly between the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance and a Congress-led alliance.
In Puducherry, over 10.14 lakh voters are eligible to vote across 30 constituencies, including 5.39 lakh women, 4.74 lakh men, and 157 third-gender voters. Around 24,156 voters are aged 18–19, while 6,034 are above 85 years. The contest is primarily between the All India NR Congress-led NDA and the Congress-DMK alliance, with Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam also fielding candidates.
Meanwhile, bypolls in select constituencies recorded moderate turnout, including Bagalkot (65.68%) and Davanagere South (63.04%) in Karnataka, Koridang (80.62%) in Nagaland, and Dharmanagar (79.84%) in Tripura.
Election authorities have ensured peaceful polling with tight security and efficient arrangements, while officials have praised the enthusiastic participation of voters, underscoring the strength of democratic engagement across the regions.