The Election Commission of India today announced that Assembly elections in Assam, Keralam, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu will be held in a single phase, while polling in West Bengal will take place in two phases. Announcing the poll schedule in New Delhi, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said voting in Assam, Keralam and Puducherry will be held on the 9th of April, while in Tamil Nadu, polling will take place on the 23rd.
In West Bengal, voting will be conducted in two phases on the 23rd and 29th of April. The first phase in the state will cover 152 Assembly constituencies, and the second phase will cover 142 constituencies. Counting of votes for all four states and the Union Territory will be held on the 4th of May. The notification for the Assembly elections in Assam, Keralam and Puducherry will be issued tomorrow.
The notification for Tamil Nadu and for the first phase of the Assembly polls in West Bengal will be issued on 30th of March. Notification for the second phase of polling in West Bengal will be issued on 2nd of April.
Mr Kumar said, with the announcement of the poll schedule, the Model Code of Conduct has come into force with immediate effect in the states and the Union Territory.
Mr Kumar said that over 17 crore people are eligible to vote in the elections to these five assemblies covering 824 Constituencies. This includes over 6 crore voters in West Bengal, nearly 6 crore in Tamil Nadu, nearly three crore in Keralam, over two crore in Assam and over nine lakh in Puducherry. He added that more than two lakh polling stations will be set up and nearly 25 lakh election officials will be deployed across the states and the Union Territory.
The Chief Election Commissioner said directions have been issued to ensure Assured Minimum Facilities such as drinking water, toilets and signage at every polling station. He added that the Commission has recently introduced 30 new initiatives to make the election process more transparent. Mr Kumar also said that there will be a maximum of 1,200 electors at each polling station, and 100 per cent webcasting will be ensured for round-the-clock monitoring.
Mr Kumar informed that the term of the 294-member Legislative Assembly of West Bengal ends on the 7th of May, the 126-member Assembly of Assam on the 20th of May, and the 140-member Assembly of Kerala on the 23rd of May. The term of the 234-member Assembly in Tamil Nadu ends on the 10th of May, while the 30-member Assembly in Puducherry will complete its term on the 15th of June.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said, in the past few days, the Election Commission of India visited all the poll-bound states to review preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections.
During these visits, the Commission met recognised political parties and received their suggestions. It also held meetings with Chief Electoral Officers, Chief Secretaries and Directors General of Police. He said the elections represent not only a democratic exercise but also showcase India’s cultural richness and reflect the country’s unity in diversity.