Assembly polls schedule out

The Election Commission (EC) today announced dates for polling and counting for assembly elections in West Bengal, Kerala, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry.

In what could strain relations between Centre and the Left, West Bengal will have an unprecedented five-phase polling, on April 17, 22, 27, May 3 and 8. Tamil Nadu, however, will vote on May 8. Counting for all the states will be held on May 11, Chief Election Commissioner B B Tandon said.

Kerala will witness polling over three days, April 22, 29 and May 5.

Surprisingly, the tiny Union Territory of Pondicherry will see a two-phase polling. While a majority of the constituencies will vote on May 8, Mahe (adjoining Kerala), Yamam (adjoining Andhra Pradesh) and Palloor will vote on May 3.

Elections in Assam will be held in two phases, on April 3 and April 10.

Assam has a 126-member Assembly, Kerala 140, Tamil Nadu 234, West Bengal 294 and Pondicherry 30.

Tandon said the decision to hold five-phase elections in West Bengal was made taking into consideration "various ground realities" like availability of central paramilitary forces in Naxal-affected areas.

"We want to have a good and peaceful polls in all the states," he said. On what prompted the EC to go for a single-day polling in Tamil Nadu vis-a-vis five in West Bengal, Tandon said all the parties in Tamil Nadu wanted this. The decision was also based on the commission's own assessment, he added.

The EC has instructed the state authorities not to allow any civil or police official above the rank of a sub-inspector to be posted in his home district during the elections.

Instructions have also been issued that such officials will not be allowed to continue in the same district if they have completed three years of posting there during the last four years.