NEW DELHI: Election Commission of India (EC) on Friday announced poll dates for assembly elections in four states and one Union Territory (UT).
The terms of the legislative assemblies of—Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala, West Bengal and Puducherry—will come to an end either in May or in June this year.
Polls will be held for 294 seats in West Bengal, 234 seats in Tamil Nadu, 140 seats in Kerala, 126 seats in Assam and 30 seats in the Union territory of Puducherry.
Assam election dates
* Voting in Assam to start on March 27
* Assam election to be held in three phases: March 27, April 1 and April 6
* Counting for all states on May 2
Kerala election dates
* Voting in Kerala on April 6
* Voting to be held in a single phase in Kerala
* Bypoll for Mallapuram Lok Sabha seat on April 6
* Counting for all states on May 2
Tamil Nadu election dates
* Voting in Tamil Nadu starts on April 6
* Voting in Tamil Nadu to take place in a single phase
* Bypoll to Kanyakumari Lok Sabha seat in Tamil Nadu on April 6
* Counting for all states on May 2
West Bengal election dates
* Voting in West Bengal starts on March 27
* Voting in West Bengal to take place in eight phases
* Second phase on April 1
* Third and fourth phase on April 6 and April 10 respectively
* Fifth phase on April 17
* Sixth phase on April 22
* Seventh phase on April 26
* Eighth phase on April 29
* Counting for all states on May 2
Puducherry election dates
* Voting in Puducherry on April 6
* Counting for all states on May 2
Highlights from CEC's briefing:
Ahead of announcing the poll dates, Sunil Arora, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), in a press conference on Friday said that a total of 824 assembly constituencies shall be going for polls during these elections,
Vaccination drive has made the situation more conducive for elections, everyone on poll duty declared frontline worker for vaccine purpose, said Arora.This is my last press conference before I demit CEC’s office on April 13, 2021, he said.
* Door-to-door campaigning to be restricted to five persons, including the candidate.
* Roadshows can be held, said the CEC.
* Arrangements to be in place for candidates to file nominations online.
* Voting to be allowed for an extra one hour.
* All poll officials will be vaccinated against Covid-19 before elections for the four states and one UT.
* Adequate CAPF deployment will be ensured for assembly polls; critical, vulnerable areas identified and advance teams already deployed.
* As many as 18.68 crore electors will cast vote at 2.7 lakh polling stations in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry, said the CEC.
* Webcasting arrangement in place at polling stations in critical and vulnerable areas, said the CEC.
(With inputs from agencies)