Voting underway in Kerala, Assam and Puducherry
Two states and one union territory have gone to polls, kicking off the Assembly election season in India. Voting in Kerala, Assam and Puducherry begun at 7 a.m. local time (01:30 GMT) and will go on till 5 p.m. (11:30 GMT).
Two other opposition-ruled states, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, will vote later this month. The results for all five regions are expected May 4.
The high stakes elections will see Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu Nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fight regional parties for power. The BJP has never won an election in Kerala.
The polls come while the public is concerned about rising energy costs and tighter cooking gas supplies due to the war in the Middle East.
Modi took to social media on Thursday, urging voters — especially women and youth — to step out to fulfil their democratic duty.
Here's what you need to know:
Assam
- 25 Million voters will elect a 126-member assembly
- BJP eyeing third term in power
- Contest between Ruling BJP and India's largest national opposition party, the Indian National Congress (INC)
- First state election since 2023 when BJP held a controversial exercise redrawing constituency lines, which critics allege manipulated minority votes to suit the BJP
Kerala
- 27 million voters of the southern state will elect a 140-member state assembly
- Stage set for a three-way contest between the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) alliance, a BJP-led alliance and a Congress-led alliance
- Kerala has the highest literacy rate in India
Puducherry
- Coastal union territory in southern India
- About 944,000 voters will vote for 30 seats in the union territory's assembly
- Currently ruled by a BJP-backed alliance
