Assembly Elections 2026 Results LIVE: Final Countdown Begins; All Eyes on 4 States, 1 UT 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.