Puducherry leads voter turnout with 89.20%, Assam follows with 85.10%, Kerala stands at 77.50%

Story by ANI | Posted by Vidushi Gaur | Date 09-04-2026

Representational image

Guwahati/Thiruvananthapuram/Puducherry

Voters turned out in large numbers for the single-phase Assembly elections held on Thursday in Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry, resulting in a strong overall polling percentage.

As per Election Commission figures available at 7:30 PM, Puducherry recorded the highest turnout at 89.20 per cent. Assam followed with 85.10 per cent voting across its 126 constituencies, while Kerala registered a turnout of 77.50 per cent.

Polling concluded peacefully across all three regions, with significant public participation. Several prominent leaders, including Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, cast their votes early in the day. Puducherry Chief Minister N. Rangaswamy also voted, continuing his tradition of riding a motorcycle to the polling station.

Elections were conducted for 126 seats in Assam, 140 in Kerala, and 30 in Puducherry. After the close of voting, officials secured electronic voting machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) units at the polling stations. Counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.

In Kerala, over 2.6 crore voters were eligible to participate, deciding the fate of 883 candidates across 140 constituencies. The electorate included 1,38,27,319 women and 1,31,26,048 men, along with 277 third-gender voters. Among them, more than 4.24 lakh were in the 18–19 age group, while over 2.04 lakh voters were aged 85 and above. A total of 30,471 polling stations were set up to facilitate voting. The contest in the state primarily involves the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF), the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), and an expanding BJP presence.

In Assam, more than 2.5 crore voters were eligible to cast their ballots for the 126-member Assembly, with 722 candidates contesting. The electorate comprised 1,25,31,552 male voters, 1,25,22,593 female voters, and 318 transgender voters. The election saw a keen contest mainly between the BJP-led NDA and the Congress-led alliance, marked by intense campaigning.

In Puducherry, 10,14,070 voters were eligible to vote across 30 constituencies. This included 5,39,125 women, 4,74,788 men, and 157 third-gender voters. Around 24,156 voters were in the 18–19 age group. The ruling NDA, comprising the All India NR Congress and the BJP, faced competition from the Congress-DMK alliance, while actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam also entered the fray, making the contest more competitive.

The high voter turnout across all three regions reflects strong public engagement in the democratic process.