Election Commission to announce poll dates for four states today

The Election Commission of India will announce the poll schedule for four states and one Union Territory on Friday.

The poll dates for Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal will be announced by the Election Commission at a press conference in New Delhi at 4.30 pm on Friday.

Election to the 126-member Assam Assembly, 140-member Kerala Assembly, 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly and 294-member West Bengal Assembly are due for the Assembly election in April-May.

Poll will be held for 30 seats in the Union Territory of Puducherry where President's Rule has been imposed and the assembly kept under suspended animation after the V Narayanasamy-led Congress government resigned earlier this week ahead of a vote of confidence.

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Assembly poll was the first major election held in India in October and November amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The EC is expected to implement a similar protocol as it announces poll dates amid a surge in Covid-19 cases and increased security risk with political temperatures rising in poll-bound states.

The Election Commission held a crucial meeting on Wednesday to finalise the schedule for the upcoming poll to four states (West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala) and one Union Territory (Puducherry).

Requirements including the deployment of security forces, polling infrastructure etc were assessed in the meet, sources said.

The meeting was chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora.