Chief Election Commissioner to visit TN on Feb 10, 11

“The EC headed by the CEC will visit Chennai on February 10 and 11 to review election preparedness in Tamil Nadu. They will meet political parties, hold meeting with district election officers, superintendent of police and other enforcement agencies to discuss the poll arrangements,” Chief Electoral Officer Sathyabrata Sahoo told reporters on Thursday. 

The top-level EC delegation will also meet senior officers of state government, including the chief secretary and top police officials, Sahoo said.

Later in the day, Sahoo conducted a video conferencing with all the district election officers to review election preparedness in all the poll bound 234 Assembly constituencies and review the supplementary electoral voters roll revision works. EC will complete the tour to all the poll-bound states by the mid of February and the CBSE had instructed the schools to gear up for the board exams by May first week. 

This means the election process to the five states, including Tamil Nadu are likely to completed before the end of April. Climate change, corona pandemic and the rising heat wave will be factors that will decide the poll schedule and is likely to be little earlier, an informed official source with EC told DT Next.

The number of polling stations in TN has been increased and the state will have additional 23,000 polling booths and the first level checking of electronic voting machines (EVMs) have been completed in TN.

It may be noted that the ruling AIADMK through the Assembly Deputy Speaker Pollachi Jayaraman has submitted a memorandum to the EC seeking early completion of the election process to Tamil Nadu by April stating that the scorching summer during May will be a hindrance to the public and the political parties.