High Turnout Marks End of Polling in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry

Polling concluded on Thursday across the Indian states of Assam and Kerala, along with the Union Territory of Puducherry, as voters turned out in large numbers to elect new legislative assemblies. The single-phase elections covered 126 seats in Assam, 140 in Kerala, and 30 in Puducherry, with over 5.5 crore eligible voters participating at thousands of polling stations. Official data showed strong engagement, with turnout figures by 5 p.m. reaching 84.42 percent in Assam, 75.01 percent in Kerala, and 86.92 percent in Puducherry. Voting extended until 6 p.m. in Kerala and Puducherry, where those in queues at closing time received tokens to cast ballots, potentially pushing final numbers higher.

In Kerala, where more than 2.69 crore electors were eligible, the contest pitted the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) against the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, seeking a third consecutive term from the Dharmadam constituency, voted in Kannur and expressed optimism about his alliance's prospects. "False propaganda cannot defeat the LDF. We always trust the people, and the people trust us,"...