New Delhi [India], March 15 : Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory Puducherry are set to hold the 2026 Assembly Elections along with three more states, with the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday set to announce the schedule of the polls later today.
Elections will be held for the 234 seats of the Tamil Nadu Assembly with incumbent chief minster MK Stalin-led Secular Progressive Alliance seeking a second consecutive term pitted against the BJP-AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance.
Puducherry will hold elections for all 30 constituencies of the 16th Puducherry Legislative Assembly. The Congress is contesting in an alliance with DMK and CPI while the opposition comprises of the All India NR Congress, BJP and the AIADMK.
In the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) won with 133 seats. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) followed with 66 seats. Congress stood at 18 seats. The state saw a voter turnout of 76.6 per cent.
Prior to that, in the 2016 Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections, AIADMK took the lead with 134 seats, DMK won 89 seats, followed by Congress at 8 seats. The voter turnout was 73.6 per cent.
In the 2021 Puducherry Assembly Elections, the All India N. R. Congress (AINRC) led with 10 seats. DMK got 6 seats, followed by the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress at 6 seats each. The voter turnout was 84.8 per cent.
Before that, in the 2016 Puducherry Assembly Elections, Congress won with 15 seats, followed by AINRC at 8 seats, AIADMK at 4 seats and DMK at 2 seats. The voter turnout was 83.6 per cent.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India reviewed poll preparedness for the upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, and Pudducherry previously this month.
According to a release, the Election Commission appointed Central Observers under the plenary powers conferred on it by Article 324 of the Constitution and Section 20B of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, to assist the Commission in the conduct of free and fair polls. They also oversee the efficient and effective management of the electoral process at the field level.
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