State Assembly Election 2021 Full Schedule, State Assembly Elections in India: Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora is likely to announce poll schedule today.Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Puducherry, West Bengal Assembly Election Dates Live Announcements: The Election Commission today sounded the poll bugle for polls in four states and one Union Territory. At a press conference held in the national capital today, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora announced the election schedule for the legislative assemblies of Kerala, Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry (under President’s rule). All five assemblies will be completing their terms in the coming two months. Voting for five assembly elections will begin on March 27, with Assam going to polls first and West Bengal concluding it with its eighth phase of voting on April 29. The counting of votes for the four states and one Union Territory will be undertaken on May 2. The Election Commission said that special observers and adequate CAPF personnel will be deployed in all states to ensure free and fair polls. Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora, who is set to retire from his post on April 13, said that nearly 18.68 crore electors will be voting at 2.7 lakh polling stations for 824 seats in four state assembly elections. Arrangements will be in place for candidates to file nominations online for five assembly polls and voting to be allowed for extra one hour in wake of COVID-19.
As per the schedule announced for the assembly elections, West Bengal will see an eight-phase election while Assam will be voting in three phases starting March 27. Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry will be held in single phases on April 6. Counting of votes for all four states and one Union Territory will be undertaken on May 2 and the results will be declared once the process concludes. Elections are to be held for 294 seats in West Bengal, 140 seats in Kerala, 126 seats in Assam, 234 seats in Tamil Nadu and 30 seats in the Union Territory of Puducherry.
Kerala will go to polls in single phase on 6th April. In 2016 as well, polls in Kerala were held in single phase on May 16.
West Bengal will go to polls in eight phases. In last election, the polling was held in 7 phases, informed the CEC Sunil Arora.
All elections in 38 districts of Tamil Nadu consisting of 234 Assembly Constituencies will be held in single phase.
“In Puducherry, elections will be held on 6th April and counting will take place on 2nd May,” said the CEC.
The terms of legislative assemblies of four states — Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala and West Bengal — are coming to an end in May and June. In Puducherry, President’s Rule has been imposed and the assembly kept under suspended animation after the V Narayanasamy-led Congress government resigned earlier this week ahead of a vote of confidence. Assam has 126 Members of Legislative Assembly, West Bengal has 294, Tamil Nadu has 234, Kerala has 140 and Puducherry has 33 seats (30 elected and 3 nominated by Centre).
CEC Sunil Arora had said that Assam assembly elections 2021 are being held keeping in mind the Rongali Bihu festival and CBSE board exams. Arora had said that state festivals and examinations will be considered while announcing the dates for the polls in the five states. Despite COVID-19 vaccine making inroads across India, the election will be held adhering to strict Covid-19 guidelines.
Highlights
West Bengal Phase-I voting on 27th March, Phase-II voting on 1st April, Phase-III voting on April 6, Phase-IV voting on April 10, Phase-V voting on April 17, Phase-VI voting on April 22, Phase-VII voting on April 26, Phase-VIII voting on April 29: CEC
Counting of votes for all five assembly elections on May 2: EC
West Bengal to go to polls in eight phases: CEC
Puducherry to go to polls in single phase; voting on 6th April: CEC
Tamil Nadu Elections to be held in single phase, voting on April 6: CEC
Kerala Assembly Election to be held in Single phase, Date of poll 6th April: CEC
Assam Election Dates 2021: Voting to be held in three phases starting 27th March
CEC announced dates for Assam, voting to held in three phases
Model Code of Conduct to come into force immediately after the announcement of the election dates: Sunil Arora, Chief Election Commissioner
This is my last press conference as I demit office in April: CEC
Arrangements to be in place for candidates to file nominations online for five assembly polls, voting to be allowed for extra one hour: EC
Expenditure limit for Puducherry is Rs 22 lakhs per constituency; for other four states it is Rs 30.8 lakhs: CEC Arora
Polling booths to be equipped with sanitizers, soaps, water: CEC
Webcasting arrangement in place at polling stations in critical and vulnerable areas. Adequate CAPF deployment will be ensured for assembly polls; critical, vulnerable areas identified and advance teams already deployed: Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora
We have taken care of festivals; CBSE exams before finalising poll dates: CEC Sunil Arora
Vaccination drive has made situation more conducive for elections, everyone on poll duty declared frontline worker for vaccine purpose: EC
Door-to-door campaigning to be restricted to five persons including candidate, road shows can be held: EC on five upcoming assembly polls
Term of Assam assembly up to 31st May, no. of assembly seats 126, SC-8, ST-16; Term of Tamil Nadu- May24, no. of seats 234, SC-44, ST -2; Term of WB assembly till May30, seats 294, SC-68, ST-16; Kerala assembly-1 June, seats-140, SC- 14, ST-2; Puducherry seats-30 SC-5, ST-nil: CEC Sunil Arora
Adequate CAPFs deployment shall be ensured during elections. All critical, vulnerable polling stations identified and an adequate number of CAPFs will be deployed: Sunil Arora, Chief Election Commissioner
Special Central Observers to be deployed for keeping a track on expenses: CEC
Web casting, CCTV, videography of voting to be done: Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora
Voting to take place for 126 seats in Assam, 234 in Tamil Nadu, 294 in West Bengal, 140 in Kerala, 30 in Puducherry: Election Commission
Advanced team of CAPFs sent to all poll-bound states: Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora
Nearly 18.68 crore electors to vote at 2.7 lakh polling stations for 824 seats in 4 assembly elections: Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora.
Road shows are allowed with restrictions as decided by authorities: CEC Arora
Number of person accompanying candidate for nominations restricted to two: CEC Sunil Arora
Special provisions made for allowing COVID-19 patients to vote: Sunil Arora
Postal ballots facility has been extended as an option for very senior citizens, employees of essential services: Sunil Arora
States can make local variations in the COVID-19 guidelines of Election Commission: Sunil Arora
Commission has issued set of guidelines in view of COVID-19: Sunil Arora
Maximum 1000 voters allowed per polling booth: CEC Sunil Arora
Total of 824 Assembly Constituencies going to polls in five states: Sunil Arora
In the thick of the pandemic, ECI started test trials with elections to 18 seats to Rajya Sabha. After that, came the challenge of the Bihar elections, it was indeed a watershed moment for ECI. It proved to be a litmus test: Sunil Arora, Chief Election Commissioner
We met Chief Secretary, DGP of poll bound states: CEC Sunil Arora
CEC Sunil Arora said that Election Commission team has visited Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry to review poll preparedness
Voter turnout in 2020 Bihar Elections was 57.34%, higher than 2015 polls: Sunil Arora
Bihar elections were a watershed moment, litmus test for Election Commission: CEC Sunil Arora
CEC Sunil Arora paid tributes to COVID-19 warriors and thanked election officials
COVID-19 challenge not over yet, said CEC Sunil Arora
Puducherry Lt Governor announces a 2% reduction in VAT (Value Added Tax) on petrol and diesel in the union territory. The news came minutes ahead of announcement of poll dates.