Polls from April 4 to May 16, process to be over by May 21

Assam will have polls in two phases on April 4 and April 11, while West Bengal will have a six-phase election. First phase will take place on April 4 and 11; second phase on April 17, third phase on April 21, fourth phase on April 25, fifth phase on April 30 and sixth phase on May 5.

Kerala will go to polls in a single phase on May 16. Announcing the dates, Chief Election Commissioner Naseem Zaidi said that the counting in all the states would be held on May 19 and the process of elections would be completed by May 21. 

With the announcement of election dates, the Model Code of Conduct has come into force with immediate effect, he said.  As many as 170 million people were likely to vote in these elections. In West Bengal, elections will be held for 294 seats. 

There are 140 seats in the Kerala Assembly and 126 in the Assam Assembly. In West Bengal, the Left wing-affected areas will go to polls in the first phase, which has been divided in two parts. The polls in the first part will be held on April 4 and those in the second part will be held on April 11. 

For the first time, the Election Commission has institutionalised the declaration by higher officials if any of their relative is contesting the elections. Photographs of all candidates will be present on the EVMs to eliminate confusion for voters, said Mr Zaidi. 

As many as 824 assembly constituencies will be going to the polls in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Assam and Puducherry, said the CEC, for which Model Code of Conduct has come into effect immediately. Around 17 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballots in Assam- 1.98 crore, Kerala- 2.56 crore, Tamil Nadu- 5.80 crore, West Bengal- 6.55 crore, Puducherry- 9, 27,000. 

More than 7 lakh dead and duplicate entries have been removed. The name of voters in the list is mandatory, possession of any of the identity cards is not enough. All-women polling stations will be set up in the four states and Puducherry.