Assam And Puducherry See Highest-Ever Voter Turnout, Kerala 78.03%

Here are the top 10 points in this big story:

1. Puducherry and Assam recorded their highest-ever turnouts at 89.83 per cent and 85.38 per cent, respectively. Meanwhile, Kerala saw a 78.03 per cent turnout. Previously, the highest poll participation figures in Assam and Puducherry were 84.67 per cent (2016) and 86.19 per cent (2011), respectively.

2.  “Assembly Elections 2026 in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry are a historic testimony not only for India but for the entire democratic World. On behalf of ECI, I congratulate each and every elector of Assam, Puducherry and Kerala for this historic achievement,” Chief Election Comissioner Gyanesh Kumar said.

3. In Assam, of the campaign rhetoric centred on ‘jati–mati–bheti‘, i.e., the BJP’s assertion that it will protect Assamese land and culture against infiltration by ‘miyas’, a derogatory term for Muslims of Bangladeshi origin and whom the ruling party has branded ‘illegal immigrants’. The Congress responded by accusing Sarma and the BJP of propagating a ‘politics of hate’ and also targeted him directly, alleging his wife holds multiple passports and owns properties abroad, and demanding a probe into his family’s finances.
4. This election is the first since delimitation in the northeastern state in 2023, a controversial exercise given that it has led to the re-drawing of constituencies in areas where the Muslim community’s votes were influential, shrinking these from 32 of the state’s 126 seats to 22.
5. The BJP contested 90 seats, Asom Gana Parishad 26, and Bodoland People’s Front 11. The Congress has opted for Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi to lead its campaign and contested 99 seats, leaving 13 for the Raijor Dal, 10 for the Assam Jatiya Parishad and six for smaller parties.
6. Kerala, meanwhile, closed the campaign window Tuesday evening with dramatic last-minute appeals from candidates across party lines; local media said some leaders rode on cranes and organised street performances – with the red (for the ruling Left), the tricolour (representing the Congress), and saffron (the BJP) all in evidence as undecided voters were courted.
7. The election for the 140-member Assembly is shaping up as a three-way battle with the BJP, which normally struggles for traction in the southern state, expected to do better than usual, particularly after a strong showing in the December local body polls that saw it win the Thiruvananthapuram Mayor post.
8. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s Left coalition has played the continuity card, foregrounding its 10-year governance record, highlighting infrastructure development and welfare schemes, and its crisis management capabilities. The Congress-led UDF coalition, however, has accused the Left Front of widespread corruption and has been boosted by big wins in the December polls.
9. For the BJP-led alliance, this is a critical moment in efforts to expand into the two southernmost states – Kerala and Tamil Nadu, neither of which has given it a second look in the past. The BJP has improved its Kerala vote share over the past few elections, but has never won an Assembly seat.
10. In Puducherry, the contest is between Rangaswamy’s NR Congress, which is allied with the BJP and Tamil Nadu’s AIADMK, and is up against the Congress-DMK alliance for the 30-member Assembly. Actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam TVK also made its electoral debut, though its main focus is the Tamil Nadu poll.