Election Commission to announce assembly poll dates for four states, Puducherry today

Chief Election Commissioner

The Election Commission will announce the dates for upcoming state elections today at 4 pm, according to news agency PTI. After the announcement, the Model Code of Conduct will come into effect in all the poll-bound states.

The country's chief poll panel will announce the schedule for the much-anticipated assembly polls in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala, Assam and the Union Territory of Puducherry.

The terms of the assemblies of these states/ union territory are ending on different dates in May and June. Special intensive revision of the voters' lists in these four states and one union territory have already been conducted, with final electoral rolls published.

Out of all the dates, the schedule for West Bengal polls will be keenly watched. The poll panel's special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is still not complete in Bengal, where around 60 lakh people are under "adjudication".

In 2021, the Bengal elections were held over eight phases. Opposition parties like the BJP and CPM have asked for fewer election days this time. In Bengal, Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee is eyeing a fourth consecutive term in power, while the opposition BJP is going all-out to turn the tables.

The announcement of the poll schedule comes after the poll panel held a crucial meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday to finalise the election schedule and phase-wise polling plan for the upcoming assembly polls.

The full bench of the Commission, led by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, reportedly returned to the national capital Tuesday night after conducting its multi-state preparedness review.