Will approach polls with agenda of development and form governments: BJP on polls

NEW DELHI: Confident of winning all the five upcoming Assembly polls, the schedule for which was announced by the Election Commission (EC) on Friday, the BJP said it will reach out to people with a positive agenda of development and a self-reliant India.

Voting for the Assembly polls in four states and the Union Territory of Puducherry will begin on March 27, with West Bengal to witness the maximum of eight phases of polling continuing till April 29, the EC announced on Friday.

Counting of votes for the four states and Puducherry will be taken up on May 2.

Welcoming the announcement of the poll schedule, BJP's national media in-charge Anil Baluni said, "We will go to people with a positive agenda of development, a self-reliant India and the welfare work done by the central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi."

Talking about West Bengal, which is witnessing a high-octane battle between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the BJP, he said the people of the state have made up their mind to vote the saffron party to power.

He further said not only in West Bengal, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), along with its allies, will form the government in Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry too.

The Assam Assembly polls will be held in three phases on March 27, April 1 and April 6, while polling for the Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Assembly elections will take place in a single phase on April 6.

Elections for the West Bengal Assembly will be held in eight phases, up from seven the last time, beginning with polling for 30 seats on March 27, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said while announcing the poll schedule.

The second phase of the West Bengal polls has been scheduled on April 1 and will cover 30 constituencies, followed by the third phase for 31 seats on April 6, the fourth phase for 44 constituencies on April 10, the fifth phase for 45 seats on April 17, the sixth phase for 43 seats on April 22, the seventh phase for 36 seats on April 26 and the eighth phase for 35 seats on April 29, Arora said.