The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday announced the schedule for the 2026 Kerala Legislative Assembly elections at a press conference held at 4 pm in New Delhi, formally setting in motion the electoral process for the 140-member Kerala Niyamasabha.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar announced that polling in Kerala will be held on April 9 and results will be declared on May 4. The Model Code of Conduct came into effect immediately upon the announcement. Voting will be held across 2.19 lakh polling stations in four states and one UT, with 25 lakh election officials on duty,” said Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Kerala will go to the polls in a single phase.
The last date for filing nominations is March 23, 2026, with scrutiny of nominations on March 24, 2026 and the last date for withdrawal of candidatures on March 26, 2026.
Assembly at stake
The Kerala Legislative Assembly elections are being held to elect 140 members of the Kerala Niyamasabha. The tenure of the current assembly is scheduled to end on May 23, 2026.Also Read: Kerala Elections 2026: What happened in the last polls? A look back at big wins, losses and shocks of 2021
The assembly has 14 constituencies reserved for Scheduled Castes and 2 for Scheduled Tribes. Elections follow the first-past-the-post system, where the candidate receiving the highest number of votes wins the constituency. Voters also have the option of selecting NOTA (None Of The Above).
A historic contest: LDF seeks unprecedented third consecutive term
Kerala remains the last major bastion of the communist party, with the Left Democratic Front seeking a third consecutive victory and hoping to create a fresh electoral record. The LDF has already made history by retaining power in two successive terms in 2016 and 2021, the first alliance to do so in the state since 1977.
The ruling LDF, led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, faces challenges from the UDF and the BJP-led NDA. The verdict in last year’s local body elections has pushed the LDF into a phase of introspection, energised an upbeat UDF, and prompted the BJP to focus on a limited set of constituencies where it believes a breakthrough is possible.
Three-way political contest
In the December 2025 local body elections, the UDF emerged with a majority in 367 gram panchayats while the LDF secured control of 234. Of the 14 district panchayats, 7 went to the UDF and 6 to the LDF. A standout result was the NDA’s victory in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, where the alliance secured 50 seats in the 101-member council.
Also Read: ‘Election Commission is extended branch of BJP…’, says Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut
Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan has said the UDF is no longer functioning merely as an opposition front but as a coalition preparing to assume power, targeting at least 100 seats.
The performance of key alliance partners the IUML, Kerala Congress (M), and Kerala Congress will be crucial for both fronts, as their seat tallies will function as amplifiers of overall performance.
New voter facilities for 2026
The Election Commission has introduced a series of reforms for the Kerala polls.
For the first time in Kerala, electronic voting machines (EVMs) will display candidate photographs in colour, to help voters identify their choice. Over 30,471 polling stations will be set up across the state, including around 5,000 new ones, with 100 per cent webcasting ensured. No polling station will have more than 1,200 electors.
More than two lakh senior citizens aged above 85 years, including 1,571 centenarians, will be eligible to vote from home. Over 49 lakh young voters aged between 18 and 29 are on the electoral rolls.
Postal ballots will be counted two rounds before EVMs, and mandatory counting of VVPAT slips has been introduced in every case of mismatch between Form 17C and EVM data. Voters will be permitted to carry mobile phones up to the gate of polling stations, with deposit facilities arranged on-site.
397 polling stations will be managed entirely by women, and 790 model polling stations will be established across the state.
Election trends in Kerala
The final electoral rolls for Kerala have already been published following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) conducted by the Election Commission. The poll body has also completed review meetings with state officials and security agencies to assess poll preparedness.
In the 2021 Kerala Assembly elections, the LDF retained power with a historic mandate, securing 99 seats eight more than in the previous election. The UDF managed to win 41 seats, while the NDA failed to retain its only seat. The victory ensured that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan became the first Chief Minister of Kerala to be re-elected after completing a full five-year term in office.
