New Delhi, 15 March (H.S.): The Election Commission of India on Sunday announced the schedule for Assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and the Union Territory of Puducherry, setting in motion a major electoral exercise involving nearly 17.4 crore voters.
According to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, polling will be held on April 9 in Kerala, Assam and Puducherry, while Tamil Nadu will vote on April 23. West Bengal will have polling in two phases on April 23 and April 29. Counting of votes for all states will take place on May 4.
With the announcement of the election schedule, the Model Code of Conduct has come into immediate effect across all poll-bound states.
The Election Commission said the elections will cover around 824 Assembly constituencies across the five regions. Voter strength includes about 6.44 crore voters in West Bengal, 5.67 crore in Tamil Nadu, 2.70 crore in Kerala, 2.50 crore in Assam, and around 9.44 lakh in Puducherry.
The Chief Election Commissioner also stated that election management bodies from around 20 countries are expected to observe India's electoral process as part of international cooperation on democratic practices.
Politically, the elections are expected to witness key contests across states. In West Bengal, the ruling Trinamool Congress is aiming to retain power, while the BJP is attempting to expand its presence. Tamil Nadu is expected to see a contest between the DMK-led alliance and the AIADMK-BJP combine.
Kerala is preparing for a traditional contest between the Left Democratic Front and the Congress-led United Democratic Front. In Assam, the BJP-led government is seeking another term, while opposition parties are preparing to challenge it.
In Puducherry, the ruling All India NR Congress is expected to face competition from the DMK-Congress alliance.
The Election Commission said elaborate security and monitoring arrangements will be put in place to ensure free and fair elections.
---------------
Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar
