Today, the counting of votes for the Assembly elections begins in five states, including Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry.
The counting process will start at 8 AM, marking the final stage of a closely watched electoral battle that saw lakhs of voters exercise their franchise.
According to data from the Election Commission, a total of thousands of candidates are in the fray across these states. West Bengal has the highest number of contestants with 4,391 candidates, followed by Tamil Nadu with 4,610 candidates. Kerala has 1,650 candidates, while Puducherry has 338 candidates contesting the elections. In Assam, the fate of 722 candidates spread across 126 constituencies will be decided today.
The Election Commission has set up 40 counting centres across Assam, with additional centres in districts like Kokrajhar, Tinsukia, Jorhat, and Nagaon.
A total of 126 counting observers, supported by thousands of officials and micro-observers, are supervising the process. Security has been tightened with the deployment of CAPF, Assam Police, SAP, commandos, and unarmed personnel at counting centres and strongrooms.
Noticeably, the voter turnout in Assam has steadily increased over the years, rising from about 75 per cent in 2001 to over 82 per cent in recent elections, peaking in 2016. Lok Sabha turnout has also remained consistently above 80 per cent in the last two elections.
Rural districts showed very high participation, often above 90 per cent, while urban areas in Kamrup Metro, likeDispur, recorded comparatively lower turnout.
State-wise, West Bengal has a total of 294 Assembly seats, where the majority mark stands at 148. The main contest in the state is between the BJP and the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
Tamil Nadu has 234 Assembly seats, with the majority mark set at 118. The key electoral battle is between the DMK-led alliance and the TVK alliance.
Kerala has 140 Assembly seats, where 71 seats are required to form the government. The primary contest is between the LDF and the UDF.
Puducherry has a total of 30 Assembly seats, with 16 seats needed for a majority. The main fight here is between the NDA and the DMK alliance.
In all five states, counting of votes will begin simultaneously at 8 AM, and the day will gradually reveal which parties are set to form governments and which will fall short in the race for power.
No Firecrackers, Rallies Near Guwahati Counting Centre on May 4