The Election Commission of India is set to announce the schedule for the upcoming Legislative Assembly elections in four states and one Union Territory later today, formally initiating the electoral process for a politically significant election cycle.
According to officials, the poll panel will unveil the election dates for the Assemblies of Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala, Assam and the Union Territory of Puducherry during a press conference scheduled in New Delhi at 4 pm on March 15.
The announcement will be made by the Commission headed by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi.
Once the election schedule is declared, the Model Code of Conduct will come into immediate effect in all poll-bound states and the Union Territory. The code regulates the conduct of political parties, candidates and governments during the election period.
The Election Commission is expected to release a detailed timeline that will include the issuance of election notifications, the beginning and deadline for filing nominations, scrutiny of nomination papers, the last date for withdrawal of candidatures, polling dates and the schedule for counting of votes.
The upcoming elections hold particular importance as the tenure of the current legislative assemblies in the five regions is scheduled to end between May and June this year, making fresh elections constitutionally necessary.
Ahead of the announcement, the Commission has already completed a key preparatory step by publishing the final electoral rolls for the four states and the Union Territory of Puducherry. The voter lists were updated following the Special Intensive Revision to ensure greater accuracy and inclusiveness in the electoral database.
