The Election Commission of India is set to announce the schedule for Assembly elections in five states and Union Territories at 4 pm on Sunday. The poll panel will announce the timetable for elections in West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and the Union Territory of Puducherry during a press conference at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi.
The briefing will be addressed by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.
The announcement comes as the terms of the legislative assemblies in the five regions draw to a close between May and June this year. The tenure of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly ends on 7 May, followed by the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on 10 May. The terms of the Assam Legislative Assembly and Kerala Legislative Assembly expire on 20 May and 23 May respectively, while the Puducherry Legislative Assembly will complete its tenure on 15 June.
Reports indicated that polling in West Bengal is likely to take place over fewer phases compared with the eight-phase election held in 2021.
In preparation for the elections, the Commission has already conducted review visits to all five poll-bound regions to assess readiness and logistical arrangements. West Bengal was the final state visited by the poll panel earlier this week, with the team returning from the state on 10 March.
The announcement is being made against the backdrop of intensifying political activity ahead of the polls. On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a rally in Kolkata, effectively launching the election campaign. During the rally, Modi accused the ruling All India Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal of attempting to shield “infiltrators” during the recently concluded Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
At the same time, tensions between the Opposition and the Election Commission have escalated. A motion led by Opposition parties seeking the impeachment of the Chief Election Commissioner was submitted in both Houses of Parliament last week, alleging biased conduct during the revision exercise.
The Special Intensive Revision, which began in June last year, has so far been carried out in 11 states and three Union Territories, including West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry. The exercise involved preparing electoral rolls afresh, requiring registered voters to submit enumeration forms, while certain categories of electors were asked to provide additional documentation and appear for hearings to establish their eligibility, including proof of citizenship.
According to data released by the Commission, the revision has resulted in the electorate shrinking by around 18.98 crore voters across several states and Union Territories, including Bihar, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Goa, Lakshadweep, Puducherry, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Kerala.
The process in Uttar Pradesh is still underway, with the final electoral roll scheduled to be published on 10 April. The Commission has also indicated that the exercise will be extended to the remaining states and Union Territories from April onwards.
The upcoming elections are expected to be politically significant, with the ruling National Democratic Alliance currently in power in Assam and Puducherry, while West Bengal is governed by the Trinamool Congress. Kerala is ruled by the Left Democratic Front, and Tamil Nadu by the DMK–Congress alliance, which is part of the Opposition’s INDIA alliance.
.webp)
.webp)
