Voting concluded on Thursday for crucial Assembly elections in Assam, Keralam, and the Union Territory of Puducherry, with voters turning out in large numbers across the regions. According to the final Election Commission data, Puducherry recorded the highest turnout at 89.83 per cent, followed by Assam at 85.38 per cent, while Keralam saw significant participation at 78.03 per cent.
Polling was conducted for 126 seats in Assam, 140 in Keralam, and 30 in Puducherry, with votes scheduled to be counted on May 4. Senior leaders, including Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Keralam CM Pinarayi Vijayan, and Puducherry CM N Rangaswamy, were among the early voters. Rangaswamy maintained his long-standing tradition of riding his motorcycle to the polling booth.
In Keralam, over 2.6 crore electors were eligible to decide the fate of 883 candidates. The voter list included 1.38 crore women, 1.31 crore men, and 277 third-gender voters, with nearly 4.25 lakh voters aged 18-19 and over 2 lakh aged 85 and above. A total of 30,471 polling stations were set up to ensure secure voting. The UDF aims to unseat the CPI(M)-led LDF government, while the BJP has expanded its base and is challenging both fronts.
In Assam, over 2.5 crore voters were eligible for the 126-member Assembly, with 722 candidates in the fray. Male voters numbered 1.25 crore, female voters 1.25 crore, and 318 transgender voters were registered. The contest largely pitted the BJP-led NDA against the Congress-led alliance and was marked by acrimony and sharp exchanges.
In Puducherry, 10.14 lakh voters were eligible, including 5.39 lakh women, 4.74 lakh men, and 157 third-gender voters. The ruling NDA, comprising the All India NR Congress and BJP, faces a challenge from the Congress-DMK alliance, while actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam is attempting to make the contest triangular.
Polling officials sealed electronic voting machines (EVMs) and VVPAT units in all booths where voting concluded, ensuring the security and integrity of the election process. This election is being closely watched for its potential to reshape political equations in all three regions.
Also read: Brisk voter turnout in Assembly polls
Bypolls in three states record brisk polling; Goa seat cancelled
Polling for by-elections to four Assembly constituencies across Karnataka, Nagaland, and Tripura concluded on Thursday with notably high voter turnout in most seats, even as the Election Commission of India (ECI) cancelled the bypoll in Goa’s Ponda segment following a Bombay High Court order.
The bypolls, necessitated by the deaths of sitting MLAs, were held alongside Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry. Results for all will be declared on May 4.
In Karnataka, where Congress is defending two seats vacated by bypolls, turnout stood at 68.70 per cent in Bagalkot and 63.04 per cent in Davanagere South by 5 pm. The Bagalkot seat fell vacant after the death of senior Congress MLA H Y Meti; his son Umesh Meti is the party’s candidate. In Davanagere South, the party has fielded Samarth Mallikarjun, grandson of the late Shamanur Shivashankarappa. The BJP has pitted former MLA Veerabhadrayya Charantimath against Umesh Meti in Bagalkot and newcomer Srinivas T Dasakariyappa in Davanagere South.
Nagaland’s Koridang constituency, vacated following the death of BJP MLA Imkong L Imchen, saw turnout cross 82.21 per cent by afternoon. Congress candidate T Chalukumba Ao is locked in a direct contest with Imchen’s son, Daochier I Imchen.
In Tripura’s Dharmanagar, polling ended with an estimated 80.04 per cent turnout. The seat was vacated by the death of Speaker and four-time MLA Biswa Bandhu Sen. BJP’s Jahar Chakraborti faces Congress’s Chayan Bhattacharjee and CPI(M)’s Amitabha Datta.
Officials reported smooth polling with tight security. The ECI has so far announced bypolls to eight seats in six states in two phases; the remaining three, in Gujarat and Maharashtra, will be held on April 23.
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