Voting for the high-stakes Assembly elections in Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry began at 7 AM today, with polling scheduled to continue until 6 PM. In Kerala, 2.71 crore electors are set to choose from 883 candidates competing for 140 seats in the Legislative Assembly. The contest is primarily among the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). In Assam, over 2.50 crore voters will participate in the election for 126 seats, with 722 candidates in the fray. The BJP-led NDA is aiming for a third consecutive term, while the Congress-led alliance includes Raijor Dal and CPI(M). Puducherry will see 10,14,070 electors voting for 30 seats. The Election Commission has ensured elaborate security arrangements and has distributed necessary polling materials, including electronic voting machines (EVMs), to polling personnel across all three regions.