Just one day is left in between for the counting of votes for five state assemblies – Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry – to begin, and the atmosphere across the country is already thick with anticipation. Counting of votes will begin in the morning, and trends will be available shortly after. The counting of votes is scheduled to begin at 8 am on May 4. The outcome will decide the fate of 824 assembly seats across five states. While counting will take place simultaneously across all constituencies, and early trends are expected within the first one to two hours, the final results are expected by evening. West Bengal recorded the highest turnout, crossing 92 per cent, across phases, while Assam saw a record 85.38 per cent participation. Tamil Nadu recorded 84.69 per percent turnout, Kerala 79.63 per percent, and Puducherry 89.87 per percent. The exit poll results, which came out three days ago as the last phase of polling ended, suggest mixed outcomes in West Bengal, Kerala, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu. In Assam, most exit polls have given a third consecutive victory for the BJP-led ruling alliance. The BJP is trying to make inroads in three states – West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu – where it has never held power. In Assam, the opposition Congress, which is leading a four-party alliance, has not only claimed that the exit polls have been manipulated by the BJP but has also expressed confidence that it will be able to dislodge the BJP-led ruling alliance. In sharp contrast, both Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his predecessor Sarbananda Sonowal have not only dismissed the Congress-led alliance’s claim as a pipe dream but have also predicted a win in more than 100 out of the 126 constituencies. As of date, the political landscape in West Bengal is defined by intense claims and counterclaims between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the BJP. The defending TMC chief, Mamata Banerjee, meanwhile, has expressed apprehensions over the security of the electronic voting machines, in addition to allegations of administrative bias. In such a situation, one has to only wait for a little over 24 hours to see exactly what the EVMs have in store.