New Delhi

Voter participation continued to rise steadily in the ongoing Assembly elections, with Assam recording a turnout of 59.63 per cent by 1 pm, according to the Election Commission of India.

In Kerala, polling reached 49.70 per cent by the same time, while the Union Territory of Puducherry reported a turnout of 56.83 per cent, indicating strong voter engagement across regions.

Earlier in the day, turnout figures at 11 am stood at 38.92 per cent in Assam, 33.28 per cent in Kerala, and 37.06 per cent in Puducherry, reflecting a steady increase as polling progressed.

Voting began at 7 am for high-stakes contests across 126 constituencies in Assam, 140 in Kerala, and 30 in Puducherry. The counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.

Kerala has over 2.6 crore registered voters deciding the fate of 883 candidates. The electorate includes more than 1.38 crore women and 1.31 crore men, along with 277 voters in the third gender category. A significant number of young voters aged 18–19 and senior citizens above 85 are also participating. To ensure smooth polling, more than 30,000 polling stations have been set up across the state.

The election in Kerala is witnessing a direct contest between the ruling Left Democratic Front led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the Congress-led United Democratic Front, which is aiming to return to power.

In Assam, over 2.5 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballots across 126 seats, with 722 candidates in the fray. The electorate includes a balanced number of male and female voters, along with service voters and members of the transgender community. Extensive arrangements, including webcasting at all polling stations and deployment of more than 1.5 lakh personnel, have been made to ensure free and fair elections.

Meanwhile, in Puducherry, over 10 lakh voters are eligible to vote in the 30-member Assembly election. The contest primarily involves the ruling NDA led by the NR Congress and the Congress-DMK alliance, with other parties also in the fray.

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Across all three regions, authorities have implemented robust monitoring systems and logistical arrangements to facilitate smooth voting as the electoral process continues.