2026's Big Ballot Battle: Five States, Hundreds of Local Bodies Set For High-Voltage Elections

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Delhi: The Bihar Assembly polls may have concluded, but India is now heading into a packed election season, with several states and local bodies set to vote in the months ahead.

State Assembly Elections

Based on the current terms and election cycle, the following are expected to go to the polls in 2026:1. Assam: All 126 seats of the Assam Legislative Assembly will be contested2. Kerala: The state’s 140-member assembly is due for renewal.3. Tamil Nadu: All 234 seats in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly will be up for election, likely in April–May 2026.4. West Bengal: The full 294-seat West Bengal Assembly will also go to polls in 2026.5. Puducherry (UT): The 30-seat Legislative Assembly of Puducherry is slated for elections.

Local Body/Municipal Elections

Several local body polls are scheduled or mandated to be completed by early 2026:1. Kerala: Local body elections are set in two phases - December 9 and December 11, 2025 - with counting on December 13. These elections will cover a wide range of bodies, including panchayats, district councils, municipalities, and corporations.2. Mizoram: The Lai Autonomous District Council is due to hold its local elections.3. Arunachal Pradesh: Elections for the Itanagar Municipal Corporation are scheduled for December 15.4. Maharashtra: The Supreme Court has ordered that all local body elections — including Zila Parishads, Panchayat Samitis, municipalities, and nagar bodies — be completed by January 31, 2026.a. This includes 29 municipal corporations, 247 municipal councils, 42 nagar panchayats, 32 zilla parishads, and 336 panchayat samitis.b. The SC also directed that the ongoing delimitation exercise be completed by October 31, 2025, and rejected its use as a reason to delay the polls.

Legislative Council Elections

1. Uttar Pradesh: Elections are expected for the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council (MLC) in 2026, with vacancies arising in both MLA constituencies and Teachers’ / Graduates’ constituencies. Notably, India is set for a busy election cycle in 2026, with major state assemblies -- including Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry -- heading to the polls as their terms end. Alongside these high-stakes contests, several local body elections are scheduled across Kerala, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Maharashtra, where the Supreme Court has mandated that all civic polls be completed by January 31, 2026.