India’s Assam and Kerala states hold legislative assembly elections

Voting also held in the federal territory of ​Puducherry, while West Bengal and Tamil Nadu will vote later this month.Millions of ‌Indians have voted in local elections in two states and a federally-governed territory, kicking ⁠off five key ⁠contests scheduled this month as a test of support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).Voting was held on Thursday in Assam and Kerala, along with the Union Territory of Puducherry, while West Bengal and Tamil Nadu will vote later this month.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4‘Gerrymandering’ in India’s Assam cuts Muslim representation before votelist 2 of 4‘We’re new miyas’: Will BJP naming some Assamese Muslims ‘Indigenous’ work?list 3 of 4‘Cocktail of Hindutva and welfarism’: How Modi’s BJP is wooing Assam voterslist 4 of 4India’s new suicide crisis: Poll workers take lives amid voter recount rushend of listResults from all the elections are due on May 4.As nearly 174 million voters headed to the polling stations on Thursday to elect more than 290 legislators, Modi appealed to people to exercise their franchise in large numbers.“I hope that the state’s youth and women voters participate enthusiastically and make this election a celebration of democracy and public duty,” Modi said in a post on X.State elections do not directly affect the stability of India’s federal government, but are closely watched as a test of voter sentiment towards the ruling ⁠coalition.A BJP-led alliance has ruled the northeastern state of Assam for two successive terms and is expected to retain power, according to public opinion platform Vote Vibe.In its campaign, the right-wing BJP targeted millions of mainly Bengali-origin Muslims who migrated to Assam in waves – most during British rule, which ended in 1947 – from East Bengal (modern Bangladesh).The BJP did not field any Muslim candidate in Assam, where the community constitutes more than 34 percent of the state’s population.In the southern state of Kerala, parties opposed to the BJP are set to win. Power in Kerala has traditionally alternated between alliances led by the Indian National Congress and the communist parties.