Voting for assembly elections in Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry will begin on March 27, with Bengal having the maximum eight phases continuing till April 29, while counting of votes for the four states and one union territory will be done on May 2, the Election Commission said on Friday.
Assam assembly polls will be conducted in three phases while West Bengal polls will be held in eight phases, up from seven last time, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said while announcing the poll schedule.
As many as 18.68 crore voters will be eligible to cast their votes at 2.7 lakh polling stations for 824 assembly seats across Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
Assam
No of phases: 3
Polling dates: March 27, April 1, April 6
Kerala
No of phase: 1
Polling date: April 6
Byeletion to Malappuram Lok Sabha seat shall also be conducted on the same day as well.
Tamil Nadu
No of phase: 1
Polling dates: April 6
Puducherry
No of phase: 1
Polling dates: April 6
West Bengal
No of phases: 8
also read
- CBI files first FIR in Sandeshkhali case against 5 for land grab, sexual assault
- Lok Sabha polls: Kerala Left Front MLA kicks up row saying ‘Rahul Gandhi's DNA should be examined’
- Meet Satheeshan, the guardian angel of motorists at Kerala's Kancor Junction
- Protestors elated over HC verdict in SSC recruitment scam as govt set to appeal
Polling dates: March 27, April 1, April 6, April 10, April 17, April 22, April 26, April 29
The Model Code of Conduct will come into force immediately after the announcement of the election dates, the commission said. The date of counting will be May 2 for all the elections.
In Assam, where 126 seats are going to polls, the term of the incumbent government ends on May 31. The term of the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal will end on May 30. The state has 294 seats.
The Pinaray Vijayan government's term will end on June 1. The elections will be conducted to 140 assembly seats. The Tamil Nadu assembly has 234 seats while the EPS government's term will end on May 24.
Puducherry, where President's Rule was imposed recently after the Congress government resigned earlier this week, has 30 seats that will be going to the polls.
The polling time has been increased by one hour for the upcoming polls, in view of the COVID-19 protocols.
The Election Commission will appoint two special observers for West Bengal and a third can also be sent if required, Arora said in response to queries on whether enough arrangements are in place for the polls in the state, where many have been raising questions about political violence.
Arora also said everyone on election duty for the upcoming polls will be vaccinated against COVID-19 before polling day.
Also, webcasting arrangements will be in place at polling stations in critical and vulnerable areas, while adequate CAPF (Central Armed Police Forces) deployment will be ensured, Arora said. All critical and vulnerable areas have been identified and advance teams have been already deployed across the four states and one union territory, he added.
He said door-to-door campaigning will be restricted to five persons, including the candidate, while roadshows will be allowed with a maximum of five vehicles.
(With PTI inputs)
