Bengal to vote in 8 phases, Assam in 3, TN, Kerala, Puducherry in single phase
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Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora declaring Assembly Election date at press conference
New Delhi: The Election Commission on Friday announced that West Bengal will go to polls in 8 phases and Assam in three phases while Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry will have a single-phase election.
Everyone on election duty for the upcoming polls for five assemblies will be vaccinated against COVID-19 before polling day, informed Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora at a press conference.
"West Bengal assembly elections will be held in 8 phases beginning with polling for 30 seats on March 27", he further informed.
While elections to the 140-member Kerala Assembly, the 30-member Puducherry Assembly and the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly will be held in a single phase on April 6, polling for the 140-member Assam Assembly will be held on March 27, April 1 and April 6.
Polling to the 294-member West Bengal Assembly will be held in eight phases, on March 27, April 1, April 6, April 10, April 17, April 22, April 26 and April 29.
Voting will take place for 126 seats in Assam, 234 in Tamil Nadu, 294 in West Bengal, 140 in Kerala and 30 in Puducherry.
Nearly 18.68 crore electors will be eligible to vote at 2.7 lakh polling stations for 824 seats in five assembly elections, said Arora at the press conference.
Arrangements will be put in place for candidates to file their nominations online for the five assembly polls. Voting will be allowed for an additional hour, keeping in mind COVID-19 safety guidelines, he said.
Also, webcasting arrangements will be in place at polling stations in critical and vulnerable areas, while adequate CAPF (Central Armed Police Forces) deployment will be ensured for the assembly polls, Arora added.
All critical and vulnerable areas have been identified and advance teams have been already deployed across all four states and one union territory Puducherry going to the polls, he further added.
He said door-to-door campaigning will be restricted to five persons, including the candidate, while roadshows will be allowed with a maximum of five vehicles.
Arora said the nationwide vaccination drive has made the situation more conducive for conducting elections and the Health Ministry has declared everyone on poll duty as frontline workers for the vaccine purpose.
The counting of votes will be held on May 2.