The Election Commission of India will announce the results of the 2026 assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry on May 4. The result is likely to be clear on Monday evening after the counting process is completed.
Date and time
Date: May 4 (Monday).
Counting Starts: 8:00 AM IST
How are votes counted?
Counting of votes in India follows a well-defined procedure under the supervision of the Election Commission. The process begins with postal ballots cast by groups such as service voters, polling staff and people with disabilities. These are counted first and officially recorded.
Read also | West Bengal Exit Polls LIVE | Can BJP unseat Mamata’s TMC? What the pollsters are saying
Then the counting of the votes stored in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) begins, usually 30 minutes later. EVMs display the total number of votes received by each candidate when the result button is pressed in the presence of officials and representatives of political parties.
Where to check results
Official results can be tracked on the Election Commission’s website (eci.gov.in), while detailed coverage and analysis is also available on platforms like LiveMint.
What is the latest in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry?
A fresh exit poll released on Thursday predicted a strong performance by the Bharatiya Janata Party in West Bengal and Assam, while suggesting that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is likely to return to power in Tamil Nadu.
Today’s Chanakya poll also suggested a close contest in Kerala, estimated at around 69 seats for the Congress-led UDF and 64 for the ruling LDF, with a margin of nine seats.
Bengal: EC likely to reduce number of counting centers again
The Election Commission is likely to reduce the number of counting centers for the West Bengal Assembly polls to 77 from the earlier 87, even as the ruling Trinamool Congress raised questions about the move just days before counting, an official said on Thursday, as reported by PTI.
The authorities did not disclose the reason for the move.
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal, Manoj Kumar Agarwal, said the number of counting centers was reduced from 108 to 87 two weeks ago for the 294 Assembly constituencies in the state.
Read also | ECI issues clarification after TMC leaders protest outside EVM strong room
“The number of counting centers can be further reduced from 77 if required. All counting centers will be under CCTV surveillance,” Agarwal said.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, however, claimed her party would win more than 226 seats and alleged that the exit poll projections were aired on the “instructions of the BJP” to demoralize TMC workers.
Tamil Nadu polls: Anbumani asks party cadres to be more vigilant during vote counting
Chairman of PMK Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss on Friday urged party workers to be more vigilant and coordinated in counting votes for the April 23 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
“Of the two phases we have gone through so far – the election campaign and voting – the third phase, the counting of votes scheduled for May 4, is undoubtedly the most crucial,” the former union minister said in a statement.
Today’s Chanakya has predicted that the DMK will return to power in Tamil Nadu, but TVK actor-turned-politician Vijay will make a stunning debut in the polls, defeating the AIADMK in second place.
It predicted DMK plus to win 125 seats, TVK 63 seats and AIADMK 45 seats with a margin of 11 seats. Tamil Nadu has a total of 234 seats with a magical mark of 118.
Shashi Tharoor says ‘sure’ we will win Kerala
Shashi Tharoor on Thursday expressed confidence that the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) would secure victory in Kerala, predicting that the alliance would win more than 75 of the 140 assembly seats.
Tharoor, a native of Kerala, said he was not surprised by the exit poll estimates, many of which indicated a victory for the UDF, which has been out of power in the state for the past decade.
In Kerala, Today’s Chanakya predicted a close contest, predicting 69 seats (plus/minus nine seats) for the UDF, 64 seats (plus/minus nine seats) for the LDF and 7 seats (plus/minus four) for the BJP. The Kerala lineup has 140 seats with a magic mark of 71.
Assam, Puducherry
Several polls on Wednesday predicted a landslide victory for the BJP in Assam and a clear lead for the party over the ruling TMC in West Bengal, while predicting the return of the DMK government in Tamil Nadu and the return of the UDF-led Congress in Kerala after 10 years.
Of the two phases we have gone through so far – the election campaign and the voting – the third phase, the counting of votes scheduled for May 4, is undoubtedly the most important.
On April 9, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry went to polls. Tamil Nadu went to polls on 23 April.
While the BJP is trying to retain power in Assam and Puducherry, where it is in alliance with the All India NR Congress, the Congress is trying to wrest power from its rival in both these places.
