Polling in all 140 Assembly constituencies in Kerala started at 7 am this morning. The voting began after the completion of mock polling. Meanwhile, voting for the 126-member Assembly in Assam, and for 30 seats in Puducherry, is also being conducted on Thursday.
Polling in Kerala is being carried out amidst tight security arrangements, which include the deployment of over 76,000 security personnel and live monitoring of the election process by an extensive webcasting system. There are 30,495 polling stations set up in Kerala. In order to handle such a huge electoral exercise, the EC has deployed 1.42 lakh trained personnel.
Congress senior and Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, V D Satheesan, arrived early for voting with his wife and daughter at their polling booth in Kerala's Paravoor constituency. Similarly, BJP's Vattiyoorkavu Assembly candidate R Sreelekha and Union Minister of State for Petroleum, Natural Gas, and Tourism Suresh Gopi also showed up early for voting.
Around 2.71 crore voters will decide the fate of the 883 candidates who are contesting from the 140 Assembly constituencies in the state. The electorate comprises 1.32 crore men, 1.39 crore women, and 273 transgender persons, along with over 2.42 lakh overseas voters, according to Election Commission (EC) figures.
The voters will also decide whether the LDF should secure a consecutive third term or if the UDF or NDA present viable alternatives.
The poll outcome will also indicate whether the state is headed towards a shift from the traditional pattern of governance, which alternates between the LDF and the UDF, as an assertive BJP has billed itself as a viable alternative to the CPI (M) and Congress-led blocs.
The election campaign, which lasted nearly a month, witnessed intense political exchanges and high-decibel rhetoric, with all three fronts engaging in sharp attacks and counter-attacks.
PM Modi appeals —
Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to the people of Assam, Kerala and Puducherry to exercise their franchise in large numbers in the assembly elections in the two states and the Union Territory. In separate messages in English, besides Assamese, Malayalam, and Tamil — the regional languages of Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry, respectively — PM Modi particularly requested the youth and the women to step forward and vote in large numbers.
"As polling begins for the Assam Assembly elections 2026, I appeal to the people of Assam to exercise their franchise in large numbers. I hope that the state's youth and women voters participate enthusiastically and make this election a celebration of democracy and public duty," he said in a post on X.
"I particularly request the youth and women of the state to step forward and vote in large numbers," he said, calling upon the people of Kerala.
"I especially appeal to our youth and to women voters to strengthen the process of democracy. Every vote matters in shaping the future of Puducherry," he added. The Puducherry Assembly has a total of 30 elected seats. Additionally, three members are nominated by the central government.
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