Assam to vote on April 9 for Assembly elections; counting on May 4
Following the announcement of the poll schedule, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has come into immediate effect in the state
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar (centre) with Election Commissioners at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, on Sunday. (Photo:PTI)
Guwahati, Mar 15: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday announced the schedule for the 2026 Assam Legislative Assembly elections, with polling in the state set for April 9 and counting of votes on May 4.
With more than 2.5 crore registered voters, Assam is preparing for a major democratic exercise as electors across the state gear up to choose representatives for the 126-member Assembly for the next five years.
The last date for filing nominations has been fixed for March 24.
Following the announcement of the poll schedule, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has come into immediate effect in the state, restricting new policy announcements and the use of official machinery for campaign purposes.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said the Commission had visited all poll-bound states to review preparedness ahead of the elections.
“During these visits, the Commission met all recognised political parties and took their suggestions. The Commission also met district electoral officers, SPs, IGs and DIGs. Meetings were also held with the chief electoral officers, chief secretaries and DGPs of the respective states and Union Territories,” Kumar said.
The election in Assam is expected to witness intense political competition, with major parties gearing up for a high-stakes contest across all 126 Assembly constituencies.
The state has a total of 31,486 polling stations, including 3,775 in urban areas and 27,711 in rural regions, according to the Election Commission.
Kumar said most polling stations would be located in rural areas, with an average of 750 to 850 electors per polling station.
Model polling stations will be set up in all states and the Union Territory, along with women-managed polling stations and stations run by persons with disabilities.
Assam will go to the polls on the same day as Kerala and the Union Territory of Puducherry. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu will vote on April 23, while West Bengal will hold elections in two phases on April 23 and April 29. Counting of votes for all these states will be conducted on May 4.
Across the five states and the Union Territory going to polls, there are about 17.4 crore electors, 824 Assembly constituencies, 2,18,807 polling stations and around 25 lakh election officials involved in the electoral process.
With the election schedule now announced, political activity in Assam is expected to intensify in the coming weeks as parties finalise candidates and begin their campaign ahead of the April 9 vote.