After a month of high-voltage campaigning, electioneering has officially ended in Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry, setting the stage for single-phase voting on April 9 across 296 assembly seats.
Polling will cover 140 seats in Kerala, 126 in Assam, and 30 in Puducherry, with counting scheduled for May 4.
A total of 1,849 candidates are in the fray, with key contests shaped by sharp political exchanges, development narratives, and leadership face-offs.
While the fight in Kerala is primarily between the CPI(M)-led LDF, Congress-led UDF, and BJP-led NDA, Assam's campaign centred around Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's governance record and the Congress challenge led by Gaurav Gogoi.
The Union Territory of Puducherry has concluded campaigning for the 30-member assembly, where 294 candidates are contesting.
The April 9 voting marks the first leg of a wider election cycle, with Tamil Nadu set to vote on April 23 and West Bengal going to polls in two phases on April 23 and April 29.
