India State Election Results 2026

Q: When are the next state elections in India?

The next major state assembly elections in India are expected in 2026 for Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Puducherry (all due April–May 2026), and Bihar (due October–November 2026). These states last held elections in 2020–2021 and assemblies complete their five-year terms in 2025–2026.

Q: How many seats does each state assembly have?

The number of seats varies by state. Key upcoming elections: Bihar has 243 seats, West Bengal 294, Tamil Nadu 234, Kerala 140, Assam 126, and Puducherry 30. Uttar Pradesh has the most at 403 seats. The total number of state assembly constituencies across India is approximately 4,036.

Q: What is the role of the Election Commission of India?

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is an autonomous constitutional body responsible for administering all elections in India — Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, state legislatures, and the offices of President and Vice President. It prepares electoral rolls, schedules elections, enforces the Model Code of Conduct, and oversees the entire voting and counting process.

Q: How do Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) work in Indian elections?

EVMs used in India consist of two units: a Control Unit and a Balloting Unit. Voters press a button next to their chosen candidate’s name and party symbol. The vote is recorded electronically. Since 2019, all EVMs are paired with VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) machines that print a paper slip showing the vote cast, visible for 7 seconds before dropping into a sealed box for verification.

Q: What is NOTA in Indian elections?

NOTA stands for ‘None of the Above.’ It was introduced by the Supreme Court of India in 2013, allowing voters to officially reject all candidates. If NOTA receives the most votes, the candidate with the second-highest vote count still wins. However, NOTA sends a strong signal of voter dissatisfaction with the available choices.

Q: What is the difference between Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections?

Lok Sabha elections are general elections for the lower house of India’s Parliament (545 seats), held every 5 years. Vidhan Sabha elections are state assembly elections for individual state legislatures. Both use the first-past-the-post system, but Lok Sabha determines the central government while Vidhan Sabha determines state governments.

Live updates, state-wise results, party performance & constituency data

State Elections

1,067

Total Seats

16+

Major Parties

2026

Election Year

Upcoming & Recent State Assembly Elections 2026

#	State / UT	Total Seats	Election Date / Expected	Status
1	Bihar	243	6 & 11 Nov 2025	Completed
2	Assam	126	9 Apr 2026 (Results: 4 May)	Completed
3	Tamil Nadu	234	23 Apr 2026 (Results: 4 May)	Upcoming
4	West Bengal	294	23 & 29 Apr 2026 (Results: 4 May)	Upcoming
5	Kerala	140	9 Apr 2026 (Results: 4 May)	Completed
6	Puducherry	30	Apr 2026 (Results: 4 May)	Upcoming
7	Delhi	70	Feb 2025	Completed

Key State Election Profiles 2026

Bihar Assembly Election 2026

243 seats

Key Parties

JD(U)RJDBJPINCHAMLJP

Previous Winner

NDA (BJP+JD(U)+LJP+HAM+RLM) — 202/243 seats

BJP 89, JD(U) 85, LJP(RV) 19, HAM 6, RLM 3, RJD 25, INC 6, CPI(ML)L 4, AIMIM 5, Others 1

Current Government

NDA — CM Samrat Chaudhary (BJP)

Key Issues

NDA landslide — 202 of 243 seats
BJP largest party (89) for first time in Bihar
RJD reduced to 25 seats
Nitish Kumar moved to Rajya Sabha
Samrat Chaudhary (BJP) became new CM

India Electoral System Explained

How Indian Elections Work

India is the world's largest democracy with over 960 million registered voters. Elections are conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI), an autonomous constitutional body established in 1950. All elections use Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) paired with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) devices since 2019 for full transparency.

Lok Sabha vs Vidhan Sabha Elections

Aspect	Lok Sabha (General)	Vidhan Sabha (State)
Scope	National — entire country	Single state or UT
Seats	543 constituencies	Varies by state (30–403)
Term	5 years	5 years
Determines	Prime Minister & central government	Chief Minister & state government
Voting system	First-past-the-post	First-past-the-post

Electoral Process Timeline

Announcement: ECI announces election dates and enforces the Model Code of Conduct
Nomination: Candidates file nomination papers; scrutiny and withdrawal period follows
Campaigning: Parties campaign until 48 hours before polling (“silence period”)
Polling: Conducted in phases across large states; EVMs + VVPAT used
Counting: Votes counted on a designated date; results declared constituency-wise
Government formation: Party/alliance with majority (50%+1 seats) forms government

Voter Eligibility & Registration

Must be an Indian citizen aged 18 years or above
Must be a resident of the constituency where they wish to vote
Must possess a valid Voter ID card (EPIC) or appear on the electoral roll
Registration available online via the National Voter Service Portal (NVSP)
NRIs can register as overseas electors under the Representation of the People Act

Historical Assembly Election Results

Bihar— Last 3 Elections

Year	Winner	Seats Won (Party-wise)
2020	NDA	NDA 125 (JD(U) 43, BJP 74, HAM 4, VIP 4) \| MGB 110 (RJD 75, INC 19, Left 16) \| Others 8
2015	Mahagathbandhan	MGB 178 (JD(U) 71, RJD 80, INC 27) \| NDA 58 (BJP 53, LJP 2, HAM 1, RLSP 2) \| Others 7
2010	NDA	JD(U) 115, BJP 91 \| RJD 22, LJP 3, INC 4 \| Others 8

Tamil Nadu— Last 3 Elections

Year	Winner	Seats Won (Party-wise)
2021	DMK Alliance	DMK 133, INC 18, VCK 4, CPI 2, CPI(M) 2 \| AIADMK 66, BJP 4, PMK 5
2016	AIADMK	AIADMK 134, DMK 89, INC 8, IUML 1, PMK 0, BJP 0, Others 2
2011	AIADMK Alliance	AIADMK 150, DMDK 29, CPI 2, Others 7 \| DMK 23, INC 5, PMK 3, Others 15

West Bengal— Last 3 Elections

Year	Winner	Seats Won (Party-wise)
2021	TMC	TMC 213, BJP 77, INC 0, Left Front 1, ISF 1, Others 2
2016	TMC	TMC 211, Left Front 32 (CPI(M) 26), INC 44, BJP 3, Others 4
2011	TMC Alliance	TMC 184, INC 42, SUC 1 \| Left Front 62 (CPI(M) 40), Others 5

Kerala— Last 3 Elections

Year	Winner	Seats Won (Party-wise)
2021	LDF	LDF 99 (CPI(M) 62, CPI 17, Others 20) \| UDF 41 (INC 21, IUML 15, Others 5) \| BJP 0
2016	LDF	LDF 91 (CPI(M) 58, CPI 19, Others 14) \| UDF 47 (INC 22, IUML 18, Others 7) \| BJP 1, Others 1
2011	UDF	UDF 72 (INC 38, IUML 20, Others 14) \| LDF 68 (CPI(M) 45, CPI 13, Others 10)

Assam— Last 3 Elections

Year	Winner	Seats Won (Party-wise)
2021	BJP Alliance	BJP 60, AGP 9, UPPL 6 \| INC 29, AIUDF 16, BPF 4, Others 2
2016	BJP Alliance	BJP 60, AGP 14, BPF 12 \| INC 26, AIUDF 13, Others 1
2011	INC	INC 78, AIUDF 18, BPF 12 \| BJP 5, AGP 10, Others 3

Key Political Parties in India

Abbr	Full Name	Founded	President	Ideology	Stronghold States
BJP	Bharatiya Janata Party	1980	Nitin Nabin	Hindu nationalism, conservatism	UP, MP, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka
INC	Indian National Congress	1885	Mallikarjun Kharge	Centre-left, social liberalism	Rajasthan, Karnataka, Telangana
AAP	Aam Aadmi Party	2012	Arvind Kejriwal	Populism, anti-corruption	Delhi, Punjab
TMC	All India Trinamool Congress	1998	Mamata Banerjee	Centre-left, populism	West Bengal
DMK	Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam	1949	M. K. Stalin	Dravidian politics, social justice	Tamil Nadu, Puducherry
AIADMK	All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam	1972	Edappadi K. Palaniswami	Dravidian politics, populism	Tamil Nadu
JD(U)	Janata Dal (United)	1999	Nitish Kumar	Centre, social democracy	Bihar
RJD	Rashtriya Janata Dal	1997	Lalu Prasad Yadav	Centre-left, social justice	Bihar
BSP	Bahujan Samaj Party	1984	Mayawati	Dalit politics, social equality	Uttar Pradesh
SP	Samajwadi Party	1992	Akhilesh Yadav	Centre-left, democratic socialism	Uttar Pradesh
CPI(M)	Communist Party of India (Marxist)	1964	Sitaram Yechury	Marxism, left-wing	Kerala, Tripura, West Bengal
NCP	Nationalist Congress Party	1999	Sharad Pawar	Centre-left, federalism	Maharashtra
TDP	Telugu Desam Party	1982	N. Chandrababu Naidu	Centre, regionalism	Andhra Pradesh
BRS	Bharat Rashtra Samithi	2001	K. Chandrashekar Rao	Regionalism, populism	Telangana
AGP	Asom Gana Parishad	1985	Atul Bora	Assamese regionalism	Assam
AIUDF	All India United Democratic Front	2005	Badruddin Ajmal	Minority rights, secularism	Assam

Frequently Asked Questions — India Elections 2026

When are the next state elections in India?+

How many seats does each state assembly have?+

What is the role of the Election Commission of India?+

How do Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) work in Indian elections?+

What is NOTA in Indian elections?+

What is the difference between Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections?+

Data compiled from Election Commission of India (eci.gov.in), state election commission records, and official gazette notifications. Election dates for 2026 are based on constitutional term expiry and are subject to ECI announcement. Last updated April 2026.