The deadline for withdrawal of nominations for Assam, Kerala and Pudicherry and bye-elections in four States of Goa, Karnataka, Nagaland and Tripura ended at 3 PM on Thursday, finalising the list of candidates set to contest across key states and Union Territories.
The Election Commission of India said the scrutiny of nominations has been completed, leaving over 2,200 candidates in the fray for the upcoming polls in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, and five Assembly constituencies across four states going for bye-elections. The poll schedule was announced on March 15, with voting in the first phase slated for April 9, 2026.
According to the Commission, 2,140 candidates remain in contention across 296 Assembly constituencies in the three poll-bound regions, with Assam accounting for 789 candidates across 126 seats, Kerala 985 candidates across 140 seats, and Puducherry 366 candidates across 30 seats. In the bye-elections, a total of 66 candidates are contesting across five constituencies in Goa, Karnataka, Nagaland, and Tripura.
“The scrutiny of nominations was conducted by the Returning Officers in the presence of candidates and their authorised agents, and the entire process was video-graphed to ensure transparency,” the ECI said in a press note. It added that lists of validly nominated candidates, along with their photographs, have been displayed on official notice boards for public access.
The last date for filing nominations for Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry, along with bye-elections in four states, was March 23. Scrutiny was carried out on March 24 and concluded on Thursday, paving the way for the finalisation of candidates after the withdrawal window closed at 3 PM.
With the nomination process now complete, the electoral contest is set to intensify in the run-up to polling, as political parties prepare for campaigning across the poll-bound states.