TN, Puducherry election dates out; Polling on April 23 and April 9
Chennai: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has officially announced that the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections will be held in a single phase, with the election to be conducted on April 23. The announcement was made during a high-level press conference at 4 pm on Sunday.
Elections are set to be held for all 234 seats in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, with the incumbent Chief Minister M. K. Stalin–led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) aiming for a second consecutive term.
TN Election 2026: Key dates at a glance
Date of poll: April 23, 2026
Date of Counting: May 4, 2026
Last Date for Withdrawal: April 9, 2026
With polling scheduled for 23 April 2026, preparations across the state are expected to intensify in the coming weeks. The counting of votes will take place on May 4, 2026, and the entire election process will conclude by 6 May 2026.
In the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) emerged victorious with 133 seats. The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) secured 66 seats, while the Indian National Congress won 18 seats. The state recorded a voter turnout of 76.6%.
In the 2016 elections, AIADMK led the results with 134 seats, followed by DMK with 89 seats, and Congress with 8 seats. The voter turnout that year stood at 73.6%.
Puducherry Election 2026: Key dates
Date of poll: April 9, 2026
Date of Counting: May 4, 2026
Last Date for Withdrawal: March 26, 2026
The election schedule for the Puducherry Legislative Assembly elections, covering all 30 constituencies, has been officially announced.
According to the timetable, the Gazette Notification will be issued on 16 March 2026 . The last date for filing nominations is 23 March 2026, followed by the scrutiny of nominations on 24 March 2026. Candidates will have until 26 March 2026 to withdraw their nominations.
Polling will take place on 9 April 2026 across the Union Territory. The counting of votes is scheduled for 4 May 2026, and the entire election process will be completed by 6 May 2026.