The Election Commission of India is expected to announce the schedule for the upcoming Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, West Bengal and Assam on Sunday. Once the election dates are declared, the Model Code of Conduct will come into force immediately across these States.
The announcement is expected as the terms of the legislative Assemblies in these States are set to expire between May and June this year. The tenure of the West Bengal Assembly will end on May 7, followed by Tamil Nadu on May 10, Assam on May 20, Kerala on May 23, and Puducherry on June 15.
Traditionally, Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry are conducted in a single phase, whereas polling in West Bengal and Assam is usually held in multiple phases due to their larger geographic and security requirements. Sources indicate that the Tamil Nadu Assembly election is likely to be held in the second week of April.
In Tamil Nadu, authorities have already made extensive arrangements for the polling process. Officials plan to establish 75,032 polling stations across the State. Each polling station will be managed by a team consisting of a presiding officer, three polling officers and an office assistant, with around 3.45 lakh personnel expected to be involved in election-related duties.
During the 2021 Assembly elections, the poll schedule was announced in the last week of February. Tamil Nadu voted on April 6, while polling in West Bengal was conducted in eight phases, with the counting of votes held on May 2.