Counting of votes cast in the simultaneous assembly elections held Thursday in Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry began Friday morning under tight security, with the Election Commission of India overseeing proceedings at counting centres across all three states. The results are expected to reshape the political landscape heading into the next general election cycle.

In Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's BJP-led alliance entered counting day with cautious optimism, buoyed by strong turnout in its traditional strongholds in Upper Assam. The Congress-led INDIA bloc, however, reported robust participation in Bengali-dominated constituencies in the Barak Valley, keeping the outcome uncertain well into the morning count.

In Kerala, the contest between the ruling Left Democratic Front under Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the Congress-led United Democratic Front remained the tightest race of the three states. Exit polls conducted Thursday evening showed the two alliances within a handful of seats of each other, with the BJP hoping to improve its marginal presence in the state after concerted outreach efforts over the past two years.

Puducherry, the smallest of the three territories going to the polls, saw a triangular contest between the Congress-DMK alliance, the AINRC-BJP combine, and independents. Lieutenant Governor-level administrative tensions added a layer of political complexity that observers said could influence post-result coalition negotiations.

National party leaders from New Delhi were monitoring counting centres remotely, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expected to address the media if BJP-led alliances perform strongly. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was scheduled to hold a press conference Friday afternoon regardless of outcomes, framing the results as a referendum on the central government's economic policies. Final seat tallies were expected by Friday evening.