Thiruvananthapuram: The Election Commission of India is likely to announce the schedule for Assembly elections in five states soon — Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, West Bengal and Assam.
A crucial announcement from the Commission is expected after the deadline for filing appeals related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal ends tomorrow.
Sources indicate that the Commission is considering single-phase polling in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. In Kerala, voting is likely to be held between April 15 and April 30, keeping in mind the Vishu festival and the peak summer season.
In West Bengal, where the previous election was conducted in eight phases, the number of phases may be reduced to five this time. Meanwhile, polling in Assam is expected to be completed in three phases.
Earlier, meetings with district collectors from all five states were held to review election preparedness. Based on these discussions, Chief Electoral Officers submitted detailed reports, which are currently under examination by the Election Commission. The final election dates will be announced after considering the recommendations in these reports.
