Assembly elections 2026: Counting begins for 4 states, 1 UT
What's the story
The Election Commission of India is likely to declare the results of the 2026 Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Puducherry on Monday, May 4. The counting process began at 8:00am IST and is expected to conclude by later in the evening. The official results can be accessed on the Election Commission's website (eci.gov.in), with detailed coverage and a blog available on this platform.
Counting procedure
Counting begins with postal ballots
The vote counting process in India starts with postal ballots, followed by Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). The EVMs display the total votes for each candidate when the result button is pressed in front of officials and political party representatives. A recent exit poll predicted a strong performance by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal and Assam, while Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is likely to return to power in Tamil Nadu.
Counting centers
Mamata Banerjee confident of winning over 226 seats
In West Bengal, the Election Commission has reduced the number of counting centers from 87 to 77. Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal said all counting centers will be under CCTV surveillance. Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed confidence that her party would win more than 226 seats and alleged exit poll projections were aired at the "instruction of the BJP" to demoralize Trinamool Congress workers.
Tamil Nadu
PMK leader urges party workers to be vigilant
In Tamil Nadu, PMK leader Dr Anbumani Ramadoss urged party workers to be vigilant during the counting of votes. Today's Chanakya exit poll predicted a return for DMK with 125 seats, TVK with 63 seats, and AIADMK with 45 seats in the state. Meanwhile, Shashi Tharoor expressed confidence that UDF would win more than 75 seats in Kerala's assembly elections.
Assam, Puducherry
Close contest expected in Kerala
In Assam and Puducherry, exit polls predicted a thumping victory for the BJP. The party is looking to retain power in both states. In Kerala, Today's Chanakya exit poll predicted a close contest between UDF and LDF with a margin of error of nine seats. The Kerala assembly has 140 seats with the magic mark being 71.