Will Mamata Banerjee secure a fourth consecutive term in West Bengal? Will Kerala return to its long-standing pattern of rotating governments? And in Tamil Nadu, can actor-turned-politician Vijay script a debut victory reminiscent of M. G. Ramachandran?
Now, as counting begins at 8 am across five assemblies, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry.
The process starts with postal ballots, before moving on to the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), covering 823 seats in total.
For the National Democratic Alliance, the results will indicate whether the momentum from its Bihar victory carries forward. For regional forces like the All India Trinamool Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, this is a test of political endurance. Meanwhile, for the Left, especially in Kerala, the stakes are existential.
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West Bengal
In West Bengal, Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal has assured that all arrangements are in place for a smooth process, stating that counting will be conducted in a “free and fair manner”.
Votes will be counted in 293 of the 294 constituencies, with repolling ordered in Falta due to “severe electoral offences”. The revised polling there will take place on May 21, with counting scheduled for May 24.
Security remains tight across the state. From strongrooms in Kolkata to key centres like Sakhawat Memorial Government Girls' High School in Bhabanipur and Netaji Indoor Stadium, forces have been deployed in strength.
Tamilnadu
Then, in Chennai, with a record turnout of 82.24 per cent, the state could either return M. K. Stalin and the DMK to power or witness an unexpected twist.
While most exit polls lean towards Stalin, they have not ruled out Vijay’s emergence as a wildcard.
Security arrangements are equally robust. A three-layer system has been implemented across major counting centres like Loyola College, Queen Mary's College, and Anna University, all under high-resolution CCTV surveillance.
Assam
In Assam, the BJP-led NDA is looking for a hat-trick. Counting will take place across 40 centres, covering 126 constituencies and 722 candidates. Around 25 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces have been deployed to guard counting centres and strongrooms.
Kerala
Kerala’s political rhythm has long been predictable, alternating between the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). But Pinarayi Vijayan disrupted that pattern with back-to-back terms since 2016.
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Puducherry
Now in Puducherry, the NDA led by the All India NR Congress (AINRC) faces off against a Congress-DMK-VCK alliance. Pollsters have projected an edge for the NDA. Counting will take place across six centres in the Union Territory.
Notably, to oversee the exercise, the Election Commission has deployed 234 Counting Observers, one for each constituency.
By evening, the results will do more than decide governments. For now, the country watches as counting begins at 8 AM.
