Millions of Indians queued to vote in local elections across two states on Thursday, kicking off four key contests this month.
The vote comes amid a war in the Middle East that has triggered fuel shortages, although Prime Minister Narendra Modi has kept domestic prices in check.
State elections do not directly affect the stability of India’s federal government but they are closely watched as a test of voter sentiment towards the ruling coalition.
Opinion polls predict an easy win for an alliance led by Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in one state, and tight contests in two others. The fourth is likely to remain with the opposition.
Voting was under way in Assam and Kerala, along with the federally administered territory of Puducherry, while West Bengal and Tamil Nadu will vote later this month. Results from all the elections are due on 4 May.
A BJP-led alliance has ruled Assam for two successive terms and is expected to win again, according to public opinion platform Vote Vibe, while the opposition is set to retain Kerala.
In West Bengal, where the removal of large numbers of names from voter rolls during a revision exercise has become a major issue, the ruling regional party is ahead in a tight race, a Vote Vibe survey for broadcaster CNN-News18 showed.
In Tamil Nadu, a coalition that includes the BJP is expected to mount a close challenge against a ruling regional party, Vote Vibe said.
Vote Vibe founder Amitabh Tiwari said it was unclear what role global energy disruptions would play in the elections, but surveys by his agency showed voters broadly praised the Modi government’s handling of energy security since the Iran war began in late February.
India has not raised retail prices of petrol and diesel despite higher global prices, and has diverted cooking gas for household use from some industries.
India typically relies on the Middle East for more than 40% of its crude oil imports and over 90% of its cooking gas imports.
Assam was largely a stronghold of the Indian National Congress until 2016, with only brief interruptions when the Janata Party (1978–79) and the Asom Gana Parishad (1985–90, 1996–2001) held power.
Ahead of the elections, the Congress and the BJP exchanged accusations over corruption and immigration.
The BJP said the Congress had long sheltered "foreign infiltrators," pointing to longstanding concerns in Assam over alleged illegal immigration from neighbouring Muslim-majority Bangladesh.
The state shares a border of more than 160 miles (260 kilometres) with Bangladesh.
The Congress, for its part, accused the BJP - known for its hardline stance on immigration - of engaging in corruption and stoking religious divisions for electoral gain.
The BJP has never ruled West Bengal but says it wants to win to curb immigration from Bangladesh.
In Assam, voter Viplavi Dutta told Reuters that she went out to vote undeterred by the rainy weather.
"As you can see, there is a big crowd here. Everyone is happy and excited to vote. They have come carrying umbrellas but have managed to come to vote. There is a huge crowd at the booth,” she stressed.
Other voters were keen to back candidates who would avoid sectarian or class fragmentation.
"(I voted) basically for a stable and development-oriented government which doesn't really create friction among people in the name of caste, religion, and that kind of thing. That's what I considered," voter M. Suresh said outside a polling station in Kochi, Kerala.
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