EC team to visit TN, Puducherry from Feb 25

The Election Commission of India, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, will visit Tamil Nadu and Puducherry from February 25 to 27 to assess preparedness for the upcoming Assembly elections, officials said on Friday.
The visit comes as both Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry are expected to go to the polls in April. Apart from these two regions, Assembly elections are also due in Assam, Kerala and West Bengal.
Earlier this week, the Commission reviewed election arrangements in Assam. Speaking to reporters in Guwahati, CEC Gyanesh Kumar stated that the poll schedule for the northeastern state would be finalised keeping in mind the festival of Bihu, observed on April 14. The Commission traditionally undertakes such visits to poll-bound states before formally announcing the election schedule.
The terms of the five legislative assemblies are set to expire on different dates in May and June. The tenure of the Puducherry Assembly concludes on June 15, while the assemblies of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Kerala complete their terms on May 7, May 10, May 20 and May 23, respectively.
In the previous Assembly elections, West Bengal witnessed polling conducted in eight phases — the highest among the five states. Assam went to the polls in two phases, whereas Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry voted in a single phase each.
Among the states and Union Territory heading to the polls, Puducherry was the first to publish its final electoral roll on February 14 following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists. West Bengal is scheduled to release its final voters’ list on February 28. In Assam, where a Special Revision was carried out instead of SIR, the final electoral roll was published on February 10.
The Commission’s upcoming visit to Tamil Nadu and Puducherry is expected to include meetings with senior administrative and police officials to review logistics, security arrangements and overall readiness for conducting free and fair elections.