New Delhi, March 25 (IANS) The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday said the scrutiny of nomination papers for the 2026 Assembly elections and by-elections has been completed, firming up the field of candidates across several key states going to the polls next month.

The elections are scheduled for Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, along with by-elections in six states.

The last date for filing nominations for Assam, Kerala and Puducherry — which vote on April 9 — was March 23. Post-scrutiny, a total of 2,140 candidates remain in the fray for the Assembly elections across the three states and one Union Territory.

According to an official press note issued by the Commission, the scrutiny process was carried out by Returning Officers on March 24 and concluded for all poll-bound states and the Union Territory, as well as for the by-elections.

The exercise was conducted in the presence of candidates and their authorised representatives, with full videography to ensure transparency.

Kerala accounts for the highest number with 985 candidates contesting 140 seats, followed by Assam with 789 candidates for 126 seats. Puducherry has 366 candidates for its 30-member Assembly.

In the by-elections, a total of 66 candidates are contesting across five Assembly constituencies. Karnataka accounts for the highest number with 50 candidates across two seats, while Goa has three candidates, Nagaland has seven, and Tripura has six.

The Election Commission said that, as per established procedure, the list of validly nominated candidates has been prepared and displayed on notice boards, along with photographs of the candidates to aid voter identification.

The final picture of the contest, however, will emerge after the deadline for withdrawal of nominations, which is set for March 26 at 3 p.m.

The ECI reiterated that all processes have been carried out in accordance with laid-down norms, with an emphasis on fairness and transparency. With scrutiny now complete, attention will shift to the withdrawal phase, after which the electoral battle lines will be clearly drawn across the states heading into polling day.

–IANS

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