The Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday announced the schedule for the Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, West Bengal and the Union Territory of Puducherry. It opted for a six-phase polling in West Bengal for its current law and order problems, while Assam will have two phases.
While Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry will have a single-phase polling on Apri1 13, Assam’s two-phased election is scheduled on April 4 and 11, according to EC. The polls in West Bengal will be on April 18, 23 and 27, and May 3, 7 and 10.
Counting of votes will take place on May 13. This means the three other states and the Union Territory will have to wait for more than a month till the polling in West Bengal is over.
The terms of the legislative assemblies of Tamil Nadu and Kerala will expire on May 16 and 23, respectively. The terms of Puducherry and Assam assemblies will end on May 28, and in West Bengal on June 11.
| POLL SCHEDULE Counting on May 13 for all four states and the Union Territory of Puducherry | |||
| State | Dates of polling | No. of seats going to poll | |
| Assam | Phase I | April 4 | 62 |
| Phase II | April 11 | 64 | |
| Kerala | April 13 | 140 | |
| Tamil Nadu | April 13 | 234 | |
| Puducherry | April 13 | 30 | |
| West Bengal | Phase I | 40,651 | 54 |
| Phase II | 40,656 | 50 | |
| Phase III | 40,660 | 75 | |
| Phase IV | 40,666 | 63 | |
| Phase V | 7-May | 38 | |
| Phase VI | 10-May | 14 | |
While EC has gone the traditional way in conducting a single-phase polling in Kerala (140 seats) and Tamil Nadu (234 seats), West Bengal will witness a six-phase polling for the first time. Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi cited “ground situation” and law and order problems as the main reasons for such a staggered poll.
All other states but Assam will poll for the newly demarcated constituencies under the Delimitation Act. The northeastern state, however, faced major problems during the delimitation exercise and will continue to hold polls on the basis of the Delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies Order of 1976.
NRI voters
For the first time, Indian citizens abroad can cast their votes. This is likely to have a major impact in Kerala, which has a large number of its residents settled abroad, especially in the Gulf countries. The chief election commissioner said the process of enrollment for the Overseas Indian citizens had already started.
10,000 paramilitary troops for Bengal polls
An “unsatisfactory” law and order situation and rising political killings in West Bengal has prompted the Union home ministry to deploy over 10,000 paramilitary personnel for the six-phase elections in the state.
“The central paramilitary forces will deploy 100 companies in West Bengal during the Assembly elections,” Home Minister P Chidambaram said. Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi, however, said: “I can’t divulge the number and the deployment strategy of security forces. But I can assure there will be adequate forces in the polling booths.”
