CEC Gyanesh Kumar in Kolkata: Assembly election dates for Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry likely to be announced

• CEC Gyanesh Kumar faced protests during West Bengal visit
• EC to review election preparedness with parties and officials
• Assembly election schedule for five regions expected soon

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With Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on a three-day visit to West Bengal, the Election Commission is expected to announce the schedule for Assembly elections in West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry soon.

Kumar faced "go back" slogans and was shown black flags on Monday morning when he visited the revered Kalighat temple in south Kolkata.

Police personnel present at the spot brought the situation under control, allowing the CEC to proceed with his visit to the temple.

Similar demonstrations were seen near the airport on Sunday night over the SIR exercise, after Kumar arrived in the city.

As his convoy was leaving the airport, Trinamool Congress workers raised "go back" slogans, targeting him.

Black flags were also shown to the CEC when his convoy was passing through the Kaikhali area along the VIP Road.

Activists of Left parties also staged protests outside the airport, heightening tensions in the area.

Police said the situation was handled firmly, preventing the protests from escalating.

Later in the day, Kumar will hold meetings with political parties, enforcement agencies and senior administrative officials to review preparedness for the assembly elections.

Kumar is visiting the state along with Election Commissioners SS Sandhu and Vivek Joshi to assess arrangements for the high-stakes polls.

The full bench of the EC will first meet recognised national and state parties to hear their concerns and suggestions regarding the conduct of elections, officials told PTI.

This will be followed by interactions with nodal officers of enforcement agencies, and a detailed review meeting with senior police and administrative officials, they said.

The meeting is expected to focus on law and order preparedness, deployment planning and coordination among enforcement agencies in the run-up to the elections, they added.

On Tuesday, the final day of the visit, the EC team will hold meetings with the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Kumar Agarwal and the CAPF nodal officer.

Kumar and his team will also interact with booth-level officers and address a press conference before leaving the city.

The visit comes amid heightened political activity in the state ahead of the upcoming polls and against the backdrop of subtle tensions between the ruling All India Trinamool Congress and the Election Commission of India over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Officials said the Chief Election Commissioner and his colleagues will meet senior state election officers, police authorities and other stakeholders to assess preparedness at multiple levels, including logistics, security and voter facilitation measures.

“The Chief Election Commissioner and his colleagues will personally review arrangements in West Bengal to ensure that all electoral processes are functioning smoothly,” an EC official told The Telegraph, adding that the focus would be on transparency and efficiency.