CHENNAI: The Election Commission is expected to announce the schedule for the Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, West Bengal, and Assam on Sunday. Once the dates are declared, the Model Code of Conduct will come into immediate effect across the states, according to Daily Thanthi.
The terms of the Assemblies in all these States end between May and June, prompting the poll body to step up preparatios for the elections. The West Bengal Assembly’s term gets over on May 7, Tamil Nadu’s on May 10, Assam’s on May 20, Kerala’s on May 23, and Puducherry’s on June 15.
Elections in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry are usually conducted in a single phase, while West Bengal and Assam are expected to witness multi-phase polling. The Tamil Nadu Assembly election is likely to be held in the second week of April.
In Tamil Nadu, elaborate arrangements have been made to ensure smooth polling. A total of 75,032 polling stations will be set up across the state. Each polling station will have a team comprising a presiding officer, three polling officers and an office assistant. Around 3,45,160 personnel across the state will be directly involved in election work.
During the 2021 Assembly elections, the poll schedule was announced in the last week of February. Tamil Nadu went to the polls on April 6, while polling in West Bengal was held in eight phases, with counting taking place on May 2.