India is preparing for one of the largest simultaneous electoral exercises ahead of the 2029
general election cycle. Around 17.4 crore voters will participate across 824 seats in West Bengal,
Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry, spread over more than 2.19 lakh polling stations.
Results for all five contests will be announced on May 4, 2026.
1. West Bengal | 294 Seats | Majority: 148 | Polling: April 23 & 29
2021 Election Result
Mamata Banerjee led TMC to a landslide victory, winning 213 seats. BJP won 77 seats, emerging as the
main opposition for the first time in Bengal’s history.
Current Political Situation:
West Bengal remains a high-stakes clash between the ruling Trinamool Congress and BJP. Notably,
polling this time is in just two phases (down from eight in 2021), reducing the election timeline
significantly.
2026 Poll Prediction
The MATRIZE-IANS opinion poll projects TMC: 155–170 seats and BJP: 100–115 seats. If this holds,
Mamata Banerjee would secure a historic fourth consecutive term.
Key Story: Can BJP break Mamata’s grip, or will Bengal remain firmly in TMC territory?
2. Tamil Nadu | 234 Seats | Majority: 118
2021 Election Result
DMK ended AIADMK’s decade-long rule, winning 133 seats on its own. The DMK-led SPA alliance
secured 159 seats in total, while the AIADMK coalition won 75.
Current Political Situation:
The DMK alliance, which includes Congress and the Left, is the incumbent. Political combinations in Tamil
Nadu have shifted substantially since 2021, with the NDA making fresh alliance arrangements.
2026 Poll Prediction
The survey predicts a tight contest with a possible edge for the NDA. Alliances and last-minute campaign
strategies are expected to play a crucial role in the final outcome.
Key Story: The most unpredictable contest of 2026 — could Tamil Nadu surprise the nation?
3. Kerala | 140 Seats | Majority: 71
2021 Election Result
LDF won 97 seats and opposition UDF won 41 seats. BJP, which opened its account in 2016 with one
seat, drew a complete blank — making Kerala the only assembly in India with no BJP representative.
Current Political Situation
BJP is entering 2026 with renewed momentum after Suresh Gopi won the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat in
2024. The party is contesting around 100 seats and targeting 10–15 assembly constituencies seriously.
Kerala had a tradition of alternating LDF-UDF governments since 1980, first broken in 2021.
2026 Poll Prediction
LDF may win 61–71 seats, UDF 58–69 seats, and BJP 2 seats — indicating a dramatically tighter race
than 2021.
4. Assam | 126 Seats | Majority: 64
2021 Election Result
BJP and its allies AGP and UPPL bagged 75 seats combined. This made BJP the first non-Congress
party to retain power in Assam for a consecutive second term.
Current Political Situation
Assam is a direct clash between BJP as double incumbent and Congress as the challenger, led by Gaurav
Gogoi. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s government is considered firmly dominant.
2026 Poll Prediction
BJP is projected to win 96–98 seats in the 126-member assembly — a commanding majority, suggesting
the BJP-led alliance could retain power decisively.
Key Story: Can Congress’s Gaurav Gogoi pull off a dramatic upset, or will Himanta complete a
hat-trick?
5. Puducherry | 30 Seats | Majority: 16
2021 Election Result
The NDA won 16 seats — AINRC bagged 10 and BJP won 6. The UPA won 8 seats, with DMK winning 6
and Congress 2. N. Rangasamy was sworn in as Chief Minister.
Current Political Situation:
The AINRC-BJP NDA alliance currently holds power in Puducherry, making it the only one of the five
regions where BJP is in a ruling coalition. Congress and DMK are contesting aggressively.
2026 Poll Prediction
The AINRC-BJP alliance is expected to retain power, though the small size of the assembly means
even a swing of 2–3 seats can change the government.