Assam saw strong polling above 84 per cent, while Kerala registered over 78 per cent turnout, surpassing its previous Assembly election figures.
BY PC Bureau
April 9, 2026 — Voting for the Assembly elections in Kerala, Assam and the Union Territory of Puducherry concluded on Thursday with high voter turnout and largely peaceful polling, officials said. The elections were held in a single phase across all three regions under tight security, with authorities reporting smooth conduct despite heavy voter footfall in many constituencies.
According to provisional data, Puducherry recorded the highest turnout at around 89.83 per cent, marking a record for the Union Territory. Assam registered a turnout between 84.4 per cent and 85.5 per cent, while Kerala reported 78.13 per cent polling, an increase over the previous Assembly elections. Officials said the final figures are likely to be marginally higher as votes cast by those in queues at closing time are still being accounted for.
Polling in Puducherry’s 30 Assembly constituencies ended at 6 pm, with voters who had arrived before the deadline allowed to cast their ballots afterward. The high turnout reflected strong voter participation in what is being seen as a key contest between the ruling NDA alliance and the Congress-led opposition. In Assam, voting across all 126 constituencies concluded at 5 pm, with several seats witnessing heavy polling. Dalgaon recorded the highest turnout at over 94 per cent, while Amri saw the lowest at around 70 per cent.
In Kerala, voting for all 140 seats ended at 6 pm, with long queues reported at several polling stations till late evening. Chittur recorded the highest turnout at 84.63 per cent, while Ranni saw the lowest at 68.99 per cent. The overall turnout surpassed the 2021 figure, indicating sustained voter engagement in the state.
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Massive and record polling in Assam, Puducherry & Keralam. Very interesting 😌 https://t.co/yOq5QRtNgR
— Pramod Kumar Singh (@SinghPramod2784) April 9, 2026
Polling remained largely peaceful across the three regions, with security forces deployed in sensitive and vulnerable areas to ensure orderly conduct. Minor incidents were reported but did not significantly affect the voting process. In one notable instance from Thrissur in Kerala, a woman with an injured finger was initially unable to vote due to identification issues but was later allowed after verification, drawing attention to procedural challenges as well as voter determination.
Bypolls were also held in select constituencies alongside the Assembly elections. In Karnataka, Bagalkot and Davangere South recorded turnouts of 65.68 per cent and 63.04 per cent respectively, while Tripura’s Dharmanagar seat saw around 79.84 per cent polling.
With polling now complete, attention shifts to the counting of votes scheduled for May 4, 2026. The high voter turnout across regions has set the stage for closely watched electoral outcomes, with political parties awaiting the results that will determine the next governments in these states and the Union Territory.
