Assembly polls in Kerala on April 9: Election Commission declares
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New Delhi: The schedule for the upcoming Assembly elections in five states and one Union Territory has been officially announced by Gyanesh Kumar. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, the Chief Election Commissioner said polling will take place on April 9, while the results will be declared on May 4.
Elections will be held in the states of Kerala, West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry. Voting will be conducted for 140 seats in Kerala, 294 seats in West Bengal, 234 seats in Tamil Nadu, 126 seats in Assam, and 30 seats in Puducherry.
Political parties have begun preparations for the electoral battle. In Kerala, the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) is expected to release its candidate list soon, with constituent parties including Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Communist Party of India announcing their nominees shortly. The opposition United Democratic Front (UDF), led by the Indian National Congress, is also likely to unveil the first phase of its candidate list soon. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is expected to first announce candidates for its priority constituencies.
The Election Commission announced the schedule after completing visits and inspections across the states. The term of the West Bengal Assembly is set to end on May 7, making the elections crucial for the state’s political future.
In Kerala, the LDF, UDF and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance are expected to quickly finalise candidates and begin campaigning. The LDF is aiming for a third consecutive term, while the UDF hopes to return to power after a decade. The BJP is seeking to open its electoral account in the state.
In the 2021 Assembly elections, the LDF retained power in Kerala by winning 99 seats, while the UDF secured 41 seats. The NDA lost its lone seat, Nemam, ending its presence in the Assembly. Meanwhile, the contest in West Bengal is expected to remain intense between the BJP and the ruling All India Trinamool Congress.