The Election Commission of India announced that the elections for the assemblies of Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Pondicherry will be held between April 4 and May 10.
Announcing the schedule in a national media conference in Delhi Tuesday evening, the Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi said that counting will be taken up in all the states on May 13.
The model code of conduct has come into force and would be applicable to the central government with respect to those respective states and Union Territories, the states and Union Territories going to polls, political parties and the contestants, the CEC said.
The CEC said that all NRIs, who registered as voters in India, would also be eligible to vote in these elections and already polling officials were instructed to that effect.
Due to law and order situation and the Maoist trouble in the state, the West Bengal state will have a 6-phase poll and the first notification will be issued on March 23. For 126-member Assembly in Assam, the notification for the first phase will be on March 10 and for the second phase on March 18.
The notification for the polls in the other states will be issued on March 19 and March 26 is the last date for filing nominations. The last date for withdrawal is March 30.
