Polling began at 7 am on Thursday across Kerala, Assam and Puducherry, with lakhs of voters turning out in closely watched contests.
The elections come at a crucial time, with different alliances battling for control across states and a Union Territory, while security and logistics have been ramped up to ensure smooth voting.
Puducherry sees multi-cornered contest with heavy security
In Puducherry, over 10 lakh voters are eligible to cast their ballots for 30 Assembly seats. Women voters outnumber men, and there are also voters from the third gender category. A notable section includes first-time voters aged 18–19 and senior citizens above 85.
Chief Electoral Officer P Jawahar said elaborate arrangements have been made. Around 1,099 polling stations are in use, with 209 marked as vulnerable and secured by central forces.
“Multi-level security arrangements are in place… drones, flying squads and helplines are being used to track violations in real time,” Jawahar told ANI.
The political fight involves the NDA, led by the All India NR Congress and the BJP, taking on the Congress-DMK alliance. Actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam has also entered the fray, aiming to turn it into a three-way contest.
During campaigning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised the Opposition, accusing it of promoting dynastic politics. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi countered by alleging that the Puducherry government is being controlled from Delhi and lacks public mandate.
In the last election in 2021, the AINRC emerged as the largest party, while turnout stood at 84.8 per cent.
Kerala votes in single phase with over 2.6 crore electorate
Kerala is voting in a single phase across 140 constituencies, with more than 2.6 crore voters deciding the fate of 883 candidates.
Women voters form a larger share of the electorate. Over four lakh voters are in the 18–19 age group, while more than two lakh are senior citizens.
Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U Kelkar said that around 1.46 lakh trained personnel have been deployed.
“We have 1.46 lakh polling personnel… more than 1,200 police teams are active on the ground,” Kelkar told ANI, adding that cases have been registered against 180 people in election-related matters.
Kerala has been under the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front for the past decade. In 2021, the LDF returned to power with 99 seats, making history as the first government since 1977 to win consecutive terms.
The main contest this time is between the LDF, the Congress-led UDF and the BJP-led NDA.
Assam gears up for 126-seat battle as NDA eyes third term
In Assam, polling is underway for 126 Assembly seats, with more than 2.5 crore voters eligible to participate. A total of 722 candidates are in the race.
The electorate includes nearly equal numbers of men and women, along with voters from the transgender category and service voters.
Authorities have deployed heavy security to maintain order.
District officials said thousands of personnel are on duty. “Around 4,000 police officers have been deployed across polling stations… CAPF units are also on standby,” officials told ANI.
Election officials said central observers, micro-observers, and additional polling staff have been stationed to monitor the process closely.
In the 2021 elections, the BJP-led NDA won 75 seats, securing a strong mandate. Voter turnout had crossed 86 per cent.
The NDA is now seeking a third consecutive term, while the Congress-led alliance is trying to regain ground.
Counting of votes for all three regions will take place on May 4, as announced by the Election Commission.