Morning Digest: ECI promises transparency as counting set to begin for Assembly polls; Trump says U.S. to help stranded ships out of Strait of Hormuz; and more

The Election Commission of India (ECI) connected Sunday (May 3, 2026) said it would uphold the “highest standards of transparency, information and efficiency” during the counting of votes connected Monday (May 4, 2026) for the elections to the Assemblies of Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry and the bye-elections successful 7 Assembly constituencies of 5 States.

The Congress-led beforehand of six parties hopes to shed the Opposition tag by preventing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) from scoring a hat-trick of wins aft the April 9 Assam predetermination results are declared connected Monday (May 4, 2026). Both alliances are gung-ho astir bagging astatine slightest 64 seats, the elemental bulk people successful the 126-member Assembly. While the Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma-helmed BJP has predicted adjacent to 100 seats for the NDA, the Gaurav Gogoi-steered Congress is assured of a akin fig for the Asom Sonmilito Morcha (ASM) to instrumentality to powerfulness aft 10 years.