In a key procedural step marking the culmination of the 2026 Assembly elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has officially notified the constitution of new Legislative Assemblies in five States and one Union Territory. The notifications, issued under Section 73 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, were dispatched to the respective Governors and the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry on Tuesday.
The ECI’s ‘Due Constitution Notification’ lists the names of all newly elected Members of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs) and formally brings the new Houses into existence. The States and Union Territories covered are: Assam (126 seats), Kerala (140 seats), Puducherry (30 elected seats), Tamil Nadu (234 seats) and West Bengal (294 seats).
This routine yet constitutionally significant step signals the end of the election process and paves the way for the formation of new Governments in these regions, whose previous terms were due to expire between May.
With the Assemblies now duly constituted, the constitutional machinery for Government formation has been set in motion.
The Governors and the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry will soon invite the leader of the party or coalition that commands a clear majority in the respective House to form the government. The swearing-in of the Chief Minister-designate and the Council of Ministers is expected to take place within the next few days.
According to the latest trends and results available as of May 5, 2026, the major takeaways are:
West Bengal: The BJP led alliance has crossed the majority mark with over 200 seats, poised to form the State Government for the first time in the State’s history.
Assam: The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has secured a comfortable victory and will return to power for a third consecutive term.
Kerala: The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) has emerged victorious, with the Congress set to lead the next Government.
Tamil Nadu: Actor-politician Vijay’s Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) has stunned observers by emerging as the single-largest party with a clear majority on its own.
Puducherry: Trends strongly favour the NDA and its alliance partners, though final seat-wise details in a few constituencies are still being confirmed.
The ECI’s notifications are not merely administrative formalities; they confer legal sanctity to the newly elected Houses and trigger the immediate commencement of the democratic process of Government formation. Political observers are closely watching the swift transitions expected in the coming days across these five important political battlegrounds.
