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The Election Commission of India on Sunday announced the schedule for the upcoming Assembly elections in four states - West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Keralam and Assam - along with the Union Territory of Puducherry. The announcement was made at a press conference in New Delhi by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and other members of the Commission. With the announcement, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has come into immediate effect across the poll-bound regions. The elections will determine the next governments and legislative assemblies in these states and the Union Territory, whose current terms are set to expire between May and June this year. According to the Election Commission, polling will largely take place in April, while the counting of votes for all five regions will be held on May 4, 2026.
Polling Schedule by State/UT
West Bengal
* Number of Phases: 2
* Phase 1: April 23, 2026
* Phase 2: April 29, 2026
* Counting: May 4, 2026
The Commission decided to conduct polling in West Bengal in two phases to ensure effective security management and smooth electoral logistics across the state’s large electorate.
Tamil Nadu
* Polling Date: April 23, 2026
* Phases: Single phase
* Counting: May 4, 2026
Tamil Nadu will vote in a single phase, following the pattern seen in previous Assembly elections where the entire state votes on one day due to relatively simpler security requirements.
Keralam
* Polling Date: April 9, 2026
* Phases: Single phase
* Counting: May 4, 2026
Assam
* Polling Date: April 9, 2026
* Phases: Single phase
* Counting: May 4, 2026
Assam will also vote on April 9 alongside Keralam and Puducherry as part of a single-phase polling exercise.
Puducherry (Union Territory)
* Polling Date: April 9, 2026
* Phases: Single phase
* Counting: May 4, 2026
Polling in all 30 Assembly constituencies of Puducherry will take place on the same day as Kerala and Assam.
The Election Commission said the polls will involve a massive administrative exercise across the five regions. Millions of polling personnel and security forces will be deployed across thousands of polling stations to ensure free and fair voting. The elections will be one of the largest democratic exercises this year, first to begin with, covering more than 17.4 crore voters across the five regions. According to the Election Commission, over 2.18 lakh polling stations will be set up, with extensive deployment of Central Armed Police Forces to maintain law and order in vulnerable areas. Special arrangements have also been made to facilitate participation of senior citizens, persons with disabilities and absentee voters, while webcasting and CCTV monitoring will be used at polling stations to enhance transparency. With millions of first-time voters expected to participate, the upcoming elections are set to be a major political test for parties across eastern and southern India.
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