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New Delhi: As crores of ballots cast across West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry await their final verdict, the Election Commission has thrown a vast security blanket over counting centres to ensure the process is undertaken without disruption. On Monday, the political future of the 5 states will begin to take shape, with West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry set to count votes from weeks of high-voltage campaigning. After a long, fractious election season, witnessing massive rallies, door-to-door canvassing and sharp exchanges between rivals, the focus now shifts from the streets to the counting halls. 

A day ahead of the May 4 results day, the voters, party workers, and the candidates are into a day of nervous anticipation, where months of work have now been reduced to the outcome of the final numbers. 

Meanwhile, behind the scenes, the Election Commission has put together one of its most extensive security blueprints for a multi-state verdict. From 200 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) guarding centres in West Bengal to three-layer cordons in Assam and high-resolution CCTV watch over Chennai’s Loyola College and Anna University, the message from officials is clear that the count must be transparent, calm and free of disruption. The district administrations have run repeated drills, trained thousands of counting staff, and sealed strong rooms, while police have drawn up traffic plans and restricted gatherings around venues to avoid last-minute flare-ups.

In the meantime, the political war rooms are working overtime. The BJP-led alliance is hoping to script history in Assam with a third straight term and make inroads in West Bengal, while Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) is expecting to retain Bengal. In Tamil Nadu, the DMK and AIADMK are locked in a direct contest to claim Chennai’s Fort St. George, and in Kerala, the LDF seeks to break the state’s decades-old pattern of alternating governments, while the UDF is looking to replace the left government. 

As the first postal ballots are opened at 8 am, the real answers to the looming questions over the outcome of the results and the next chief ministers will finally begin to emerge.

Election Commission Promises Transparent Counting

As per the officials, with the fate of 126 seats in Assam and equally high-stakes battles in the other states to be decided, the Election Commission has promised a transparent tally backed by central forces, CCTV surveillance and rigorous access protocols.

In West Bengal, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Kumar Agarwal said on Sunday that the state was fully prepared for a “high-stakes conclusion” to its electoral process. Stressing that nothing had been left to chance, he outlined a 3-tier security arrangement at all counting halls, with state police, state armed police, and CAPF jointly working to ensure strict security. 

Tension equally looms in Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry, where district administrations have converted universities, colleges and trade centres into heavily guarded counting hubs. With exit polls projecting a 3rd straight term for the BJP-led alliance in Assam and a direct DMK-AIADMK fight in Tamil Nadu, the officials are bracing for heightened political emotions once trends begin emerging on Monday morning.

West Bengal: 200 CAPF Companies Take Position

Specifically, in Bengal, the scale of deployment is massive for a counting day. CEO Agarwal confirmed that 200 companies of CAPF have been earmarked exclusively for counting centres. “All arrangements are in place. There is a three-tier security arrangement; our RO, ARO, counting agents, and counting supervisors are all ready; they have undergone training multiple times. There is no possibility of any disruption anywhere, everything will happen as per the rules,” he said.

CCTV cameras have been installed outside every hall to monitor movement, while responsibilities have been clearly demarcated. “If there is any negligence, action will be taken. Security forces, CAPF, everyone has been briefed,” Agarwal added. In a direct message to government staff, he noted, “All government employees, whether from the central government or the state government, any person inside the counting hall, including RO, ARO, if there is any mischief, they will be held responsible.”

The CEO appealed to political parties and the public to maintain the calm witnessed during the first two phases of polling. “Just as voting took place peacefully, the counting will also take place peacefully... I request all political parties, candidates, party agents, the public, and everyone that the counting should take place peacefully. There will be no mischief anywhere,” he said. On the other hand, high-level meetings with district magistrates and the Director General of Police (DGP) have already been held to pre-empt unrest.

Earlier, CRPF Director General (DG) Gyanendra Pratap Singh and Special DG Vitul Kumar inspected the strong room at Netaji Indoor Stadium following TMC allegations that the BJP, in “active collusion” with the Election Commission, was attempting to open ballot boxes without party representatives present. Senior TMC leaders Shashi Panja and Kunal Ghosh staged a sit-in outside the venue, alleging tampering with postal ballots. 

CEO Agarwal, however, maintained that EVM strong rooms remain “safe and secure” and that there was “no irregularity or controversy”. The security was subsequently heightened at strong rooms across the city, including Sakhawat Memorial Government Girls’ High School and Falta assembly seat, where the EC has ordered repolling on May 21.

Assam: 52 Centres, 722 Candidates, Counting Centres' Three-Layer Cordon

Assam’s 126 Assembly constituencies will be decided across 52 distinct counting locations spread over 35 districts. The venues range from Bodoland University in Kokrajhar and Bhattadev University in Bajali to Nalbari College, Karimganj College and the Maniram Dewan Trade Centre in Guwahati. In several places, including Goalpara, Majuli and Dima Hasao, counting will take place at the office of the District Commissioner (DC).

The postal ballots will be taken up first at 8 am on Monday, with EVM counting beginning half an hour later across 14 tables at each centre. Lakhimpur Deputy Commissioner Aditya Vikram Yadav said that a tough three-layer security cordon had been established at Lakhimpur Government Higher Secondary School for 5 key constituencies. “The administrative machinery is primed for a 126-seat battle that will determine if the BJP-led alliance can secure a historic third consecutive term,” he told reporters.

In Sivasagar district, 391 officials have been deployed for Demow, Sivasagar and Nazira constituencies. The district administration said that specific arrangements were in place for postal ballots to ensure protocols were followed. The state went to the polls on April 9, with the BJP-led NDA seeking to retain power against a 6-party Congress-led alliance. Exit polls from Axis My India, JVC and Matrize all projected the NDA to secure between 85 and 100 seats.

Tamil Nadu: Loyola, Anna University Under Three-Layer Watch

In Chennai, security has been intensified ahead of Monday’s counting for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. A three-layer arrangement is in force at important venues, including Loyola College, Queen Mary’s College and Anna University. The barricades have been erected up to 100 metres from the centres, with only authorised personnel permitted beyond that point after identity checks.

The armed police are guarding entry gates at the middle layer, regulating the movement of officials, candidates and agents. Inside the halls, CAPF personnel will maintain order. High-resolution CCTV cameras cover entry and exit points as well as counting halls, with live feeds monitored from dedicated control rooms. Traffic diversions are in place and public gatherings near the venues have been restricted. Quick Response Teams (QRTs) and emergency services remain on standby.

Tamil Nadu recorded an overall turnout of 82.24 percent, with a direct contest between the DMK-led alliance and the AIADMK-led NDA. The officials have assured that all measures are in place to uphold transparency and safety.

Kerala And Puducherry: Protocols In Place As Final Preparations End

While detailed venue lists for Kerala and Puducherry were not outlined in Sunday’s briefings, election officials confirmed that standard EC protocols, including 3-tier security, CCTV coverage, and separate tables for postal ballots, are being applied across all counting centres. In Kerala, where counting will ascertain the next government in 140 constituencies, DCs have completed multiple rounds of training for staff. Puducherry’s 30 seats will be counted under similar arrangements, with central forces supplementing local police.

Across all 5 states, counting supervisors and agents have undergone repeated training sessions. The Commission asserted that results would be updated in real time on ECINET and the official election portal, beginning with postal ballots at 8 am and EVMs at 8.30 am.

The final hours are ticking down and the authorities from Kolkata to Chennai have made arrangements, expressing confidence that the democratic exercise will conclude peacefully. However, with political stakes running high and allegations already surfacing in Bengal, Monday’s count will test both the security grid and the credibility of the electoral process.