Polling across Assam, Kerala and Puducherry picked up pace through Thursday, with voter turnout reflecting strong participation by the evening. According to official data, Puducherry recorded the highest turnout at 86.92%, followed by Assam at 84.42%, while Kerala registered 75.01% by 5 pm.
In Assam, polling across all 126 Assembly constituencies saw an estimated 84.42% turnout by 5 pm, surpassing the 82.04% recorded in the 2021 elections. The contest remains intense, with the BJP-led NDA aiming for a third straight term, while the Congress is striving to return to power after ten years.
At the constituency level, Dalgaon reported the highest turnout at 94.57%, whereas Amri saw the lowest at 70.40%. A total of 722 candidates are contesting in this single-phase election, with voting held at 31,490 polling stations across 35 districts from 7 am to 5 pm.
In Kerala, polling for all 140 Assembly seats ended at 6 pm, although voters were still queued at several booths. Authorities issued tokens to those present before the deadline, allowing them to vote. By 5 pm, turnout stood at 75.01%, slightly higher than the 74.06% recorded in 2021. Final figures will be confirmed once all queued voters have cast their ballots.
Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor said, "BJP is not a factor here. This is a state where the BJP is a zero-seat party in the Assembly. To even mention them in the same breath is an excessive compliment. It is a fight between an incumbent LDF govt and a challenging UDF."
Similarly, voting in Puducherry’s 30 Assembly constituencies concluded at 6 pm, with voters who arrived before the cut-off permitted to vote. Early estimates suggest turnout exceeded 86%, marking the highest turnout in an Assembly election since the first poll in 1964. The NDA is seeking to retain power in the Union Territory, while the Congress-led alliance is attempting to unseat the AINRC-led government, focusing on issues such as local governance and administrative concerns.