New Delhi [India], March 15 : The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday announced the schedule for Assembly elections in four states--West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Assam--along with the Union Territory of Puducherry.
According to the schedule, polling in West Bengal will be conducted in two phases on April 23 and April 29. Kerala and Assam will vote in a single phase on April 9, while Tamil Nadu will go to the polls on April 23. Voting in Puducherry will also take place on April 9. The counting of votes for all four states and Puducherry will be held on May 4, the ECI announced.
In addition to the Assembly polls, the Commission also announced by-elections for six seats across six states--Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Nagaland, and Tripura--which will be conducted in two phases.

The first phase, covering constituencies in Goa, Karnataka, Nagaland, and Tripura, will have polling on April 9, while the second phase in Gujarat and Maharashtra will take place on April 23.
Following the announcement, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into immediate effect in all poll-bound regions.
For the first phase of elections in West Bengal, covering 152 Assembly constituencies, the gazette notification will be issued on March 30, 2026. The last date for filing nominations is April 6, with scrutiny scheduled for April 7. Candidates can withdraw their nominations until April 9. Polling for this phase will take place on April 23.

The second phase, covering 142 constituencies, will begin with the issuance of the gazette notification on April 2, 2026. The last date for filing nominations is April 9, while scrutiny will be held on April 10. Candidates may withdraw their nominations until April 13, and voting for this phase will take place on April 29.
West Bengal has a total of 6,45,61,152 electors as per the Election Commission of India, including 6,44,52,609 general electors and 1,08,543 service voters. The state has 5,23,229 young electors aged 18-19 years. The electoral rolls also list 4,16,089 electors marked as Persons with Disabilities (PwD), 1,152 electors identified as third gender, and 3,78,979 senior citizens aged 85 and above.
Tamil Nadu will hold elections in a single phase on April 23, with counting scheduled for May 4. Addressing a press conference in the national capital, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said the last date for filing nominations is April 6. Scrutiny will take place on April 7, and the final date for withdrawal of candidatures is April 9.

According to the final electoral roll for Tamil Nadu, the total electorate stands at 5,67,07,380, comprising 2,77,38,925 male voters, 2,89,60,838 female voters, and 7,617 third-gender voters. Among them, 12.51 lakh are aged 18-19 years, 4.63 lakh are persons with disabilities, and 3.99 lakh are senior citizens aged 85 and above. The ECI revised the electoral rolls in the state between October 27, 2025, and February 23, 2026, taking January 1 as the qualifying date.
The 2026 Kerala Legislative Assembly election will be held in a single phase on April 9, with vote counting scheduled for May 4. Around 2.7 crore electors are expected to participate in the election. The last date for filing nominations is March 23, scrutiny will take place on March 24, and candidates can withdraw their nominations until March 26.

Following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the state electoral roll, the final voter list for Kerala was released on February 21. The revised roll includes 2,69,53,644 voters--1,31,26,048 male voters, 1,38,27,319 female voters, and 227 third-gender voters. Among them, 4,24,518 voters belong to the 18-19 age group.
In Assam, elections for all 126 Assembly constituencies will be held in a single phase on April 9, with the counting of votes scheduled for May 4.

The Union Territory of Puducherry will also hold its 2026 Assembly election in a single phase on April 9, with counting set for May 4.

Overall, the elections will cover 824 Assembly constituencies with a total electorate of about 17.4 crore voters. Nearly 2.19 lakh polling stations will be set up, and around 25 lakh personnel will be deployed to conduct the elections.
The terms of the current assemblies are set to end on different dates: May 7 in West Bengal, May 10 in Tamil Nadu, May 20 in Assam, May 23 in Kerala, and June 15 in Puducherry.