NEW DELHI — The Election Commission of India (ECI) has convened a high-stakes press conference today, March 15, 2026, at 4:00 PM, to announce the schedule for the upcoming Assembly elections in four states and one Union Territory.
With this announcement, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) will immediately come into effect across the poll-bound regions, prohibiting governments from making new policy announcements or launching projects to influence voters.
The Election Map 2026
The upcoming polls involve:
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West Bengal (294 seats)
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Tamil Nadu (234 seats)
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Kerala (140 seats)
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Assam (126 seats)
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Puducherry (30 seats)
Expected Polling Trends
While the official schedule will be unveiled at 4 PM, initial reports and historical data suggest the following:
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West Bengal: Likely to see 3–4 phases of voting. While significantly lower than the 8 phases in 2021, the ECI has already deployed roughly 500 companies of central forces to the state due to its “sensitive” status.
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Assam: Expected to be conducted in multiple phases (likely 2 or 3).
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Southern States: Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry are typically held in a single phase, likely in mid-April.
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Counting of Votes: Results are expected to be declared in early May, as the terms of the existing assemblies in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu expire on May 7 and May 10, respectively.
Current Political Stakes
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West Bengal: Mamata Banerjee (TMC) seeks a fourth term against a determined BJP. The election follows a controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls that sparked a legal battle in the Supreme Court.
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Tamil Nadu: DMK’s MK Stalin faces a combined AIADMK-BJP challenge and the electoral debut of actor-politician Vijay and his party, TVK.
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Kerala: Pinarayi Vijayan (LDF) is eyeing a historic third consecutive term, while the Congress-led UDF hopes to break the trend.
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Assam: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma (BJP) leads the charge for a second term against an opposition spearheaded by Gaurav Gogoi (Congress).
