EC Likely to Finalise Poll Schedule for Five States After Preparedness Review
The full bench of the Commission, led by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi
New Delhi, March 12: The Election Commission of India is expected to finalise the schedule for the upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry following a crucial meeting in New Delhi after completing its multi-state preparedness review.
The full bench of the Commission, led by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, returned to the national capital after assessing election preparedness in the poll-bound regions.
Officials said the Commission will review reports submitted by state election authorities and central observers before taking a final decision on the number of polling phases, deployment of security forces and the detailed election schedule for the five states and union territory.
The Commission recently completed its final round of visits, with West Bengal marking the last leg of its nationwide review exercise. During the two-day visit, officials held meetings with senior administrative and police officers, district magistrates and representatives of various political parties to assess the readiness of the state machinery for conducting the elections.
Earlier, similar preparedness meetings were conducted in Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry as part of the Commission’s routine pre-election review process. In West Bengal, discussions focused on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, law-and-order arrangements in sensitive districts and the deployment strategy for central armed police forces during polling.
Under election rules, the Commission must conduct elections before the terms of the respective legislative assemblies expire. The tenure of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly ends on May 7, followed by Tamil Nadu on May 10, Assam on May 20, Kerala on May 23, and the Puducherry Assembly on June 15. Once the election schedule is announced, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) will immediately come into effect in all poll-bound states, restricting governments from announcing new schemes or making major policy decisions that could influence voters.
Security considerations are expected to play a significant role in determining the number of polling phases, particularly in West Bengal, which has historically witnessed multi-phase elections due to its size and security requirements. In contrast, states such as Tamil Nadu and Kerala have typically voted in a single phase in previous Assembly elections.
The Commission’s upcoming announcement is expected to set the stage for a major political contest across the five regions as parties prepare to intensify their campaigns.
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