BJP, Left eye hat-tricks in Assam, Kerala; NDA aims to keep Puducherry

Polling is underway in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry in high-stakes Assembly elections set to test the NDA's hold in Assam and Puducherry, and assess the INDIA bloc's push for a comeback.

In Short

• Polling in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry from 7 am
• BJP and Left eye hat-tricks in Assam and Kerala
• INDIA bloc aims to wrest power from NDA in Puducherry

Polling for Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry began at 7 am with elaborate security arrangements, webcasting and special voter facilities in place to ensure smooth electoral conduct. Voting will end at 6 pm.

In Assam, the contest is primarily between the BJP-led NDA and the Congress-led opposition alliance. The NDA includes the BJP and its allies such as the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and other regional partners. The opposition bloc features the Congress along with parties like the AIUDF and Raijor Dal, making it a mix of alliance and multi-cornered contests.

In Kerala, the election is a straight bipolar fight between the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), led by the CPI(M), and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). The BJP, a minor player, is attempting to expand its footprint in the state.

In Puducherry, the main contest is between the NDA, comprising the AINRC, BJP and allies and the INDIA bloc led by the Congress and DMK.

Apart from Assembly polls in these places, bypolls for five Assembly seats are being held in – Ponda (Goa), Bagalkot and Davanagere South (Karnataka), Koridang (Nagaland) and Dharmanagar (Tripura). These by-elections were necessitated due to the deaths of sitting MLAs.

ASSAM

In Assam, the battle for the 126-member Assembly is largely seen as a direct contest between the BJP-led NDA and the Congress-led opposition alliance. Assam has recorded a voting percentage of 38.92 till 11 am.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is seeking a hat-trick for the BJP, while the Congress, led in the state by Gaurav Gogoi, is aiming to regain power in the state it once held.

A total of 722 candidates are in the fray, with over 2.5 crore voters eligible to cast their ballots across 31,490 polling stations.

The campaign in Assam has revolved around a mix of identity politics and governance issues. The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has emerged as a major flashpoint, with opposition parties alleging attempts to disenfranchise voters.

Illegal infiltration has once again taken centre stage, with the BJP foregrounding the issue of undocumented migrants, while the opposition has accused the ruling party of polarisation.

Adding to the political heat was the controversy surrounding allegations linked to Sarma’s wife over a purported “fake passport” issue, which the Congress has used to target the government.

Key contests include Jalukbari, where Sarma is seeking a sixth straight win, and Jorhat, where Gaurav Gogoi, currently a Lok Sabha MP from Jorhat, is making his Assembly debut.

Other parties such as the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) headed by Badruddin Ajmal, Akhil Gogoi's Raijor Dal and Lurinjyoti Gogoi-led Assam Jatiya Parishad are also in the fray, making for a multi-cornered contest in several constituencies.

In the 2021 Assam Assembly elections, the incumbent NDA won 76 seats, while the Congress-led Mahajot (UPA) secured around 49. The BJP emerged as the single largest party with 60 seats, followed by the Congress with 29.

KERALA

In Kerala, a total of 883 candidates are contesting for 140 seats, with 2.71 crore voters set to decide the outcome. Voter turnout in Kerala reached 33.28 per cent till 11 am.

The state is witnessing its traditional bipolar contest between the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). LDF is seeking hat-trick.

While the LDF is banking on its welfare schemes, social security measures and governance record, the UDF has raised issues of unemployment, rising prices and allegations of financial mismanagement.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the LDF's face, will again contest from Dharmadam in Kannur, a CPI(M) stronghold that has become synonymous with his political authority. He has been representing the seat since 2016. Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan, who has been undefeated in Paravur since 2001, is aiming to retain his stronghold again.

All eyes will be on Nemom, where former Union Minister and Kerala BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar will contest. Notably, Nemom delivered the BJP its first Assembly victory in 2016 before reverting to the Left in 2021.

KK Shailaja, widely recognised for her leadership during the Nipah outbreak and the Covid-19 pandemic, remains one of the Left’s most prominent faces. She has now been fielded from Peravoor, a seat traditionally seen as favourable to the Congress.

Chandy Oommen, the son of late former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, will represent Puthuppally, a seat once held by his father for over five decades. He won by over 35,000 votes in the 2023 bypoll.

Polling will take place across 30,495 stations, with 1.46 lakh officials and 76,000 security personnel deployed. Authorities have also made arrangements such as water and fans at booths in view of the summer heat, along with innovative voter-friendly measures.

Notably, Kerala has historically voted out incumbent governments, a pattern that was broken in 2021 when the LDF returned to power for the second consecutive time with a decisive mandate. The LDF won 97 of the 140 seats, while the UDF secured 41, with others winning 2 seats.

PUDUCHERRY

In Puducherry, around 9.5 lakh voters will decide the fate of 294 candidates across 30 Assembly seats. The NDA alliance, led by Chief Minister N Rangasamy, is seeking to retain power, highlighting its “double-engine” governance model. 37.06 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the union territory until 11 am.

Rangasamy is contesting from both Thattanchavady and Mangalam constituencies as he seeks to retain power for NDA.

The INDIA bloc, comprising Congress, DMK and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), is pushing for a return to power, focusing on issues of local autonomy and alleged administrative friction with the Centre.

A significant new factor in the contest is the entry of actor Vijay’s party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), which is attempting to emerge as a third force.

Authorities have identified over 200 polling stations as vulnerable and have deployed drones to monitor violations such as cash and liquor distribution, with significant seizures reported in recent weeks.

Special arrangements, including women-run polling stations and assistance for elderly and differently-abled voters, have been put in place.

In the 2021 polls, the AINRC won 10 seats, while its ally BJP secured 6, taking the NDA’s tally to 16 in the 30-member Assembly. The DMK-Congress-led Secular Progressive Alliance managed 8 seats.

With over three crore voters set to exercise their franchise across these regions, the elections are being closely watched for both their local and national implications. Results will be out on May 4.

- Ends
(with inputs from PTI)