New Delhi

Voter turnout in the ongoing Assembly elections reached 38.92 per cent in Assam and 33.28 per cent in Kerala as of 11 am on Thursday, according to data released by the Election Commission of India. In the Union Territory of Puducherry, turnout stood at 37.06 per cent.

Earlier in the day, polling trends at 9 am showed turnout at 17.87 per cent in Assam, 16.23 per cent in Kerala, and 17.41 per cent in Puducherry. Voting began at 7 am across all three regions.

Polling is being held for 126 Assembly seats in Assam, 140 in Kerala, and 30 in Puducherry, with counting scheduled for May 4.

In Kerala, more than 2.69 crore voters are eligible to decide the fate of 883 candidates across 140 constituencies. The electorate includes over 1.38 crore women, 1.31 crore men, and 277 voters from the third gender category. Around 4.24 lakh voters fall in the 18–19 age group, while over 2 lakh are aged above 85. A total of 30,471 polling stations have been set up across the state.

The contest in Kerala is primarily between the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, which is aiming for a third consecutive term, and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF).

In Assam, over 2.5 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballots for the 126-member Assembly, with 722 candidates in the fray. The electorate includes more than 6.4 lakh first-time voters aged 18–19, over 2.5 lakh voters above 80 years, and more than 2 lakh persons with disabilities. Authorities have deployed over 1.5 lakh polling personnel and enabled webcasting at all 31,490 polling stations to ensure smooth conduct of elections.

Electronic voting arrangements include over 41,000 ballot units, nearly 44,000 control units, and a similar number of VVPAT machines, along with reserves.

In Puducherry, 10.14 lakh voters are eligible to vote across 30 constituencies. The electorate comprises over 5.39 lakh women, 4.74 lakh men, and 157 third gender voters. Around 24,000 voters are in the 18–19 age group, while over 6,000 are aged above 85.

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The electoral contest in Puducherry features the ruling NR Congress-led NDA, the Congress-DMK alliance, and actor-turned-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), which has also entered the fray.