Assembly Elections 2026 Results LIVE: Counting Begins At 8 am; Bengal, Tamil Nadu Battles In Focus

TMC leader and candidate from the Shyampukur constituency, Shashi Panja, alleged irregularities in the handling of election-related papers.

She claimed that documents used for tracking the counting process were being discarded and questioned the conduct at the counting centres.

Speaking to ANI, Ms. Panja said, “We bring in all papers on which we keep a track of counting. This is all the work of the Election Commission. Everything is being thrown away. Have we come here to clash? Have we come here with bullets and ammunition and pistols?”

-ANI

Strong rooms opened, counting to begin at 8 am, 15645 officials deployed in Kerala

To ensure the process remains transparent and seamless, a total of 391 officials have been deployed to oversee the proceedings.

Leading the district in participation, 97-Nazira recorded the highest turnout at 85.57%, with approximately 1,56,504 out of 1,82,885 total voters casting their ballots. In 95-Demow, 83.30% of the 1,78,953 eligible voters exercised their franchise, resulting in a total of about 1,48,068 votes. Meanwhile, 96-Sivasagar, which features the district’s largest electorate of 2,10,484 voters, saw a turnout of 82.36% with approximately 1,73,353 citizens participating in the democratic process.

Hours before the counting of votes, Congress leader Pawan Khera on Sunday expressed confidence that a decisive mandate will be coming against the oppressive governments.

“We are absolutely confident that a decisive mandate is coming against the oppressive governments they are running. They forget what Advani ji said about the Election Commission in 2008-2009. They themselves forget what questions they raised to the Election Commission, and we answered them. The Election Commission answered them, we called meetings and called them, and we answered them. The Election Commission of that time and the Election Commission of today, the government of that time and the government of today, no comparison is possible,” Khera told ANI.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan changed his social media bio on Sunday, one day ahead of the counting of votes for the recently held Assembly elections in the State.

The changed bio of Vijayan now reads “Polit Bureau Member, Communist Party of India (Marxist)”.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is eyeing a historic third consecutive term from his home turf. While the constituency is a storied fortress for the Left, the 2026 race is shaping up to be more than just a victory lap, both from the United Democratic Front led by the Congress and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.

The UDF had fielded VP Abdul Rasheed against the Chief Minister, whereas on the other hand, K. Ranjith contested on the BJP’s ticket.

- ANI

The Trinamool Congress on Sunday threw a challenge to the Bharatiya Janata Party, asking it to deploy all its resources to secure victory in the Falta Assembly constituency, where re-polling is scheduled for May 21 after the Election Commission of India annulled the earlier vote over “serious electoral offences.”

In a post on X, the Trinamool Congress said the BJP could even bring Narendra Modi and Amit Shah to Falta, while urging the ECI to station 50,000 central security personnel there, asserting that none of it would sway voters.

The re-poll was ordered after the commission cited “grave electoral violations and undermining of the democratic process” during the April 29 voting in Falta, which took place in the second phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections 2026.

A BJP counting agent told ANI, "They are not carrying their ID cards. We are wearing our ID cards. They are creating a ruckus unnecessarily. BJP is winning with a majority in West Bengal and even in Bhabanipur..."

Tight security in Kolkata ahead of vote counting at Shekhawat Memorial Government Girls High School. Vote counting will begin at 8 am today, May 4.

Ahead of counting of votes for West Bengal Elections 2026, CPI(M) candidate for Jadavpur constituency, Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, told ANI, "It is the result day today. I am hopeful of the Left having performed well this time...There should be a change. Common people are upset with the Govt. Let's see what the results would be..."

On repolling in Falta on May 21, he says, "Corrupt practices were adopted in Falta. It shows that the Election Commission officers were also involved...If Election Commission officers get involved too, what can we say..."

Security arrangements have been put in place at the counting centre set up at Motilal Nehru Government Polytechnic College in Puduchery, where votes for several key Assembly constituencies will be counted today.

Security heightened at a counting centre in Siliguri ahead of the counting of votes. The state completed voting for its 2026 Assembly election in two phases, with repolling at 15 booths of two constituencies on May 2.

The Election Commission on Saturday ordered a repoll in all 285 polling booths of the Falta assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas district on May 21. BJP candidate Durga Murmu says, “It was a historic election. A change will come in Bengal.”

Heavy security arrangements have been put in place at the counting centre set up at Loyola College in Chennai, where votes for several key Assembly constituencies will be counted today.

With the Kerala Assembly election results set to be announced on Monday, workers of various political parties across the state have begun preparations for celebrations.

In Pandikkad in Malappuram district, Congress and UDF workers are preparing biryani for around 5,000 people in anticipation of a victory.

According to Congress leaders, a large tent has been erected in the town where the food will be distributed.

“We will celebrate the end of 10 years of LDF rule. We welcome everyone, including CPI(M) workers,” a Congress worker told the media.

The Kurmis, an OBC (Other Backward Classes) group, has been in a long-standing conflict with state and central governments, over their demand for ST (Scheduled Tribes) status and constitutional recognition of Kurmali language under the Eighth Schedule. Constituting around 30% of the electorate in all major assembly constituencies of Jhargram, the Kurmis play a crucial role in determining the political tidings of the constituencies, especially Binpur, Gopiballavpur, and Jhargram.

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Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee held a meeting with her party's counting agents for the Bhabanipur constituency, from where she is seeking a re-election, on Sunday evening, hours before the counting of votes for the West Bengal assembly election is scheduled to begin.

In Bhanapur, the chief minister's principal challenger is the BJP's Suvendu Adhikari who defeated her in the Nandigram constituency in 2021.

The meeting at the CM's Kalighat residence was attended by TMC leader and Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim, among others.

Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK on Sunday alleged "plans by BJP to orchestrate disruptions" on May 4 at vote counting centres, sensitive locations, including party offices and claimed apprehensions about large-scale law and order issues and demanded that the election authorities take steps to prevent untoward incidents.

The BJP dismissed the allegation.

All steps must be taken to ensure the maintenance of peace, public order and the integrity of the counting process across Tamil Nadu on May 4, the DMK urged.

Most exit polls indicate a close contest in West Bengal, with a slight advantage for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In Assam, they point to a BJP comeback, while in Kerala, the Congress-led UDF is projected to unseat the ruling LDF.

In Tamil Nadu, the DMK-led alliance is expected to retain power, and in Puducherry, the NDA is likely to emerge victorious, as per exit poll trends.

However, exit polls have often missed the mark in the past, and the final outcome will only be known when results are announced on Monday, May 4.

Counting is carried out by supervisors appointed by the Returning Officer (RO), with staff selected through a three-stage randomisation process to maintain fairness. Candidates, along with their counting and election agents, are present inside the counting hall to observe the process.

The process begins at 8 am with postal ballots, which include votes cast by service personnel, polling staff, and persons with disabilities. These are counted under the RO’s direct supervision. Counting of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) starts 30 minutes later, even if all postal ballots have not been fully tallied.

After each round, results from 14 EVMs are announced. As multiple rounds progress, early trends typically start emerging by 9-9:30 am, while a clearer picture usually develops by the afternoon. Final results are declared only after all rounds, including postal ballots and EVM counts, are completed and verified.

For the DMK, which dominated in Chennai, northern, and central Tamil Nadu in 2021, gains in the western belt could offset potential setbacks in its traditional strongholds.

The contest here  is further complicated by candidates such as veteran leader K. A. Sengottaiyan, now with the TVK, contesting from Gobichettipalayam, where his longstanding association with the AIADMK could influence voter behaviour.

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Every election cycle in West Bengal revives the same question: can the Bharatiya Janata Party finally dislodge Mamata Banerjee? Each time, the variables change—corruption probes, central agency action, heavy deployment of forces, and high-voltage campaigns. Yet the outcome has remained broadly consistent. The reason lies less in episodic factors and more in the structure of power that Mamata Banerjee has built over decades—one that combines welfare delivery, organisational depth, and social coalition-building into a durable electoral machine.

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In the 294-seat state assembly, 148 is the majority mark. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 77 seats in 2021 assembly elections and led in 90 assembly segments in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. This means, they, indeed, need a strong ‘wind’ to sail through.

As per data the Election Commission of India (ECI) released late in the evening on the poll day, Bengal recorded a polling rate of 92.35%, a historic high. This data was as of 9 pm on April 23 and excluded updated data from roughly 6,000 of the 44,376 polling stations in the first phase. 

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India has not seen an election like the West Bengal Assembly polls of 2026—an intense battle of numbers, muscle power and mind games, marred by conflicts and controversies that required frequent judicial intervention.

It is also one of India’s most controversial elections in recent times, as it went ahead without resolving disputes surrounding 2.7 million voters who claim to be legitimate. The process has repeatedly raised questions about the impartiality of the poll panel and the threats posed to India’s federal system by the alleged bias of agencies such as the Election Commission.

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On the results of the assembly elections in 5 states, AIMIM leader Waris Pathan told ANI, "... The Constitution has given people the right to vote. People have voted in full force. The results of the elections in 5 states are due tomorrow... The public has cast its votes. I do not believe in the exit polls. This is the exit poll, not the exact poll..."

Candidates and political leaders across Kerala’s major coalitions expressed confidence in their respective victories on Sunday, just 24 hours before the state’s Assembly election results are scheduled to be announced on May 4. Following the polling for the 140-member Assembly on April 9, representatives from the LDF, UDF, and NDA each claimed that the electorate had moved in their favour.

Kerala Minister P A Mohamed Riyas, contesting from Beypore in Kozhikode against UDF-backed Independent P V Anvar, stated that the political climate remained favourable for the CPI(M)-led LDF. He attributed this to the front’s decade-long tenure focused on development and social welfare.

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A total of four states (Kerala, Assam, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal) and one union territory (Puducherry) will announce their poll results today.

Counting: 8 am

Early trends: From 9 am

Key leads: By late morning

Website to watch: ECI official website or Outlook India live blog

All eyes are on five states as counting gets underway for the Assembly election results. Early trends are expected within the first few hours.

After weeks of intense campaigning and multi-phase voting, counting of votes begins at 8 am under tight security, with early trends expected within the first few hours.