Indian Assembly Elections In 4 States To Take Place In April: Who Are Favourites To Win?

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Elections to the assemblies in crucial Indian states, including Keralam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Assam, and in the union territory of Puducherry will be held on April 9, April 23 and April 29, and counting will take place on May 15, India’s chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar announced in New Delhi on Sunday.

Voting in Keralam, Assam and Puducherry will be on April 9, in Tamil Nadu it will be on April 23 and in West Bengal in two phases on April 23 and April 29.

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A total of 174 million electors are entitled to exercise their franchise at 219,000 polling stations across 824 assembly constituencies. Over 2.5 million officials will be on duty during the exercise, said Kumar.

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Polling in Keralam, Assam and Puducherry will be held in a single phase on April 9, while voters in Tamil Nadu will exercise their franchise on April 23. West Bengal will see a two-phase election with polling on April 23 and April 29.

In Keralam, the CPI (M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) will attempt a record third consecutive term in government. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who will be 81 in May, is leading the group. In 2021, it won 99 of the 140 seats, while the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) got 41. The BJP did not win any seats, but is determined to make a break this time, with Indian Prime minister Narendra Modi asserting during his campaign that the party hopes to dismantle the 70-year domination of the state by the Left and Congress.

In neighbouring Tamil Nadu, M.K. Stalin, Chief Minister, of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance is in his second consecutive term. The BJP has allied with the AIADMK, while a third front has emerged with actor-turned-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam hoping to cash in on his popularity. In 2021, the DMK won 133 of the 234 seats and with its allies ramped it up to 159. The BJP got just four seats.

West Bengal will also see a bitter war between Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress, which is hoping for a fourth straight consecutive term, and the BJP, which is again determined to dislodge it. In 2021, the Trinamool won 213 of 294 seats, and the BJP could get just 77. The Congress, which has been sidelined in the state, had drawn a blank last time and is not hopeful of any significant change this time.

Assam sees the BJP-led alliance seeking a third consecutive term under chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The alliance had won 75 of the 126 seats in 2021. In Puducherry, the AINRC-led NDA won 16 of 30 seats in 2021. The ruling BJP coalition will be defending against DMK-Congress opposition.

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