New Delhi, April 9: Voting for the assembly elections in Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry commenced at 7 AM today. Voters are casting their ballots for 126 seats in Assam, 140 in Kerala, and 30 in Puducherry. The polling will continue until 5 PM, with results set to be announced on May 4.
In this single-phase election, voters were seen queuing outside polling stations early Thursday morning.
Kerala has 883 candidates vying for election, averaging six to seven candidates per seat. The presence of rebel and independent candidates has transformed several constituencies into competitive battlegrounds. The voter base stands at 2.7 million, spread across more than 30,000 polling centers.
Puducherry, a union territory comprising four regions—Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe, and Yanam—has over 950,000 voters, including 24,919 first-time voters. A total of 294 candidates are contesting in this territory.
Assam’s assembly elections feature 722 candidates, including 59 women. Approximately 25.05 million registered voters are eligible to participate in these elections, with 31,490 polling centers established to facilitate the voting process.
This election is crucial for Assam’s 126-member assembly, where the BJP aims to retain power while the Congress hopes for a return to governance. This is the first election following the delimitation process conducted in 2023 in this northeastern state.
In Kerala, the elections for 140 assembly seats see a contest among three alliances: the Left Democratic Front (LDF), the United Democratic Front (UDF), and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The Left Front aims for a fifth consecutive term, but it faces significant challenges from the Congress-led UDF and the BJP-led NDA.
Voting is also taking place for 30 seats in Puducherry, where the ‘All India N.R. Congress’ (AINRC) coalition, led by Chief Minister N. Rangasamy and supported by the BJP, currently holds power.
–
Leave a Comment