State Assembly Polls 2026: Will the grand contest of 2026 prove to be the biggest game-changer in Indian politics? Who will dominate the elections in five states and hundreds of civic bodies of the country, and which unseen move will change the electoral equation of the entire country?
New Delhi. India is once again going to enter an election phase that can change the direction of the country’s politics. As soon as the Bihar Assembly elections are over, the entire country is getting ready for the big state elections and hundreds of local body elections to be held in 2026. Looking at the kind of electoral environment that is going to be created in the coming months, it is clear that the year 2026 will be completely full of “high-voltage political contests”.
Will the 2026 state elections usher in new political equations?
In 2026, assembly elections are going to be held in five big states of the country, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry. These five states are very different politically, and the contest in each state will be seen in its own colour. There will be a very interesting contest on 234 seats in the largest electoral state, Tamil Nadu. The politics here has always been based on the equations of alliances. In 2026, DMK, AIADMK, BJP, Congress – all four parties are making a new strategy.
1. Assam elections: Will power return again or will the public give a new decision?
Elections will be held on 126 seats in Assam. The politics here runs on the mathematics of caste, region and communities. In such a situation, every party has already intensified its strategy.
2. Kerala Elections: Will history take another turn?
The 140-member Kerala Assembly is known for changing power every time. But will the same tradition continue this time also? Or is something different going to happen?
3. Tamil Nadu Elections: What will be the biggest twist in South Indian politics?
Elections for 234 seats in Tamil Nadu are expected to be held in April-May 2026. Politics here is always high-voltage – star power, strength of regional parties and alliances all play a big role.
4. West Bengal Elections: Will political war break out again?
The election for 294 seats of West Bengal always remains in the national headlines. Will the equations be reversed this time or will history be repeated?
5. Puducherry elections: Small state, but big political signal
The elections for 30 seats in Puducherry indicate the mood of national politics and a triangular contest can be seen here.
Will the 2026 local body elections shake the roots of politics?
Apart from the states, large-scale local body elections will also be held in many parts of the country. These elections may be called small, but this is the place where political ground is made.
- Kerala: Elections in two phases on 9 and 11 December 2025. Panchayat, Zilla Parishad, Municipality – everything is at stake.
- Mizoram: Lai Autonomous District Council elections are very important for local politics.
- Arunachal Pradesh: Itanagar Municipal Corporation elections on December 15 will set the political tone in the north-east.
- Maharashtra: Talking about Maharashtra, elections for more than 600 local bodies are to be held in the entire state before 2026. The Supreme Court has ordered that all municipal, nagar panchayat, district council, city council and other body elections be completed before January 31, 2026. This is the reason why Maharashtra has now become the biggest local electoral battlefield in the country.
Can UP MLC elections also change the game?
- Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council elections are scheduled to be held in 2026.
- Here the elections of teacher, graduate and MLA constituencies often become the basis of major political changes.
2026: Will this election year become the biggest turning point in the country’s politics?
2026 is not just “another election year” – this is the time when the people of the Big Five states, local bodies across Maharashtra, key regions of the North-East and conscious states like Kerala will come together to decide the direction politics will take next.