EC Announces Poll Dates for West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry; Bengal Votes on April 23 & 29

New Delhi, March 15 (TNA) The Election Commission of India has announced the schedule for the upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and the Union Territory of Puducherry.

As per the announced schedule, West Bengal will vote in two phases on April 23 and April 29, while Assam will go to the polls on April 23. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry will hold elections in a single phase on April 29. The counting of votes for all states and the Union Territory will take place on May 4.

The two-phase polling in Bengal marks a major shift from the 2021 Assembly elections, when voting was conducted in eight phases over more than a month. Political parties had reportedly urged the Election Commission to keep the polling schedule shorter this time, arguing that prolonged elections increase campaign expenses and reduce public enthusiasm.

Traditionally, elections in West Bengal are conducted in multiple phases to ensure smooth deployment of central security forces, as the state has witnessed incidents of political violence during previous polls. However, officials believe that the presence of a large number of central forces in the state will allow elections to be conducted smoothly within two phases.

With the dates now announced, political parties across the five regions are expected to intensify their campaigns ahead of the crucial electoral battle, with results set to be declared on May 4.