The Election Commission of India has announced the assembly elections 2026 dates — and they span 824 seats across five states. The last time India voted for this many seats at once was the 2024 Lok Sabha. This time, the fights are local — and the stakes are arguably higher.
The Election Schedule
The Election Commission announced the full schedule on March 15:
- April 9 — Assam (126 seats), Kerala (140), Puducherry (30). Single phase, all three.
- April 23 — Tamil Nadu (234 seats) in one phase. West Bengal Phase 1.
- April 29 — West Bengal Phase 2 (294 seats total across both phases).
- May 4 — Counting day for all five.
The Model Code of Conduct kicked in immediately. No new government schemes, no freebies announcements until results are in — which overlaps neatly with IPL 2026’s first phase, running March 28 through April 12.
But the real action isn’t on the calendar. It’s in the subtext.
What’s at Stake in Each State
Now that the assembly elections 2026 dates are announced, each state is fighting a different war — but they all answer the same question: can the BJP break through outside its Hindi heartland?
West Bengal is the loudest battlefield. Mamata Banerjee seeks a third term against a BJP that’s been flagging 1.36 crore voters through a controversial SIR exercise. The 2021 election had eight phases. This one has two. TMC calls that suspicious. The governor reshuffle earlier this month already set the tone.
Tamil Nadu could see its first real three-way contest in decades. DMK defends, AIADMK has rejoined the BJP-led NDA, and actor Vijay’s TVK party is the wildcard nobody can size up yet.
Kerala’s Left front is chasing history — no LDF government has ever won three consecutive terms. Congress, shut out of power in the state for a decade, is treating this as existential.
Assam is BJP’s to lose. Puducherry is small but symbolic — 30 seats that signal southern intent.
Why These 824 Seats Matter Nationally
These aren’t just state elections. Seventy-two Rajya Sabha seats come up for election in 2026 — and state assembly compositions decide who fills them. A strong BJP showing in Bengal or Tamil Nadu reshapes the upper house. A Congress collapse in Kerala raises questions about its survival as a national force in Parliament.
With the ECI election commission India 2026 schedule now public, the campaign season officially begins. The votes haven’t been cast yet. But the map of Indian politics in 2029 starts being drawn on April 9.