After Bihar poll work, ECI shifts focus to TN, Pondy

Technically all the four states should complete the elections by the last week of May and the term of current Tamil Nadu government will end on May 24 and June 8 for Puducherry. As usual Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are likely to have a single-phase election, EC sources said.

The status of holding the bypoll to Kanniyakumari Lok Sabha seat that became vacant due to the demise of sitting MP Vasanthakumar will be decided by the end of next month, sources said.

There are possibilities for the EC to hold the Kanniyakumari bypoll before May 2021 Assembly polls, too sources said.

By the end of January, the Election Commission will start holding regular video conferencing with the chief electoral officers of the poll bound states and ensure that the officers in the ranks of district election officers and the returning officers completing three years in the same posts are transferred. In case of Tamil Nadu, the state may also have a new chief secretary and the views of the chief secretaries and chief electoral officers would be heard to ensure adequate logistics, sources said.

Meanwhile, Chief Electoral Officer Sathyabrata Sahoo on Thursday conducted a video conferencing with District Collectors on voters roll revision. Sahoo also instructed the Collectors to ensure that revised voters’ rolls are ready by the month of January.