Guwahati, March 15: The Election Commission of India is set to announce the schedule for the Legislative Assembly elections in four states and one Union Territory later today, formally initiating the electoral process in a key political year.
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 Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.
Once the schedule is declared, the Model Code of Conduct will immediately come into force in all poll-bound states and the Union Territory, regulating the conduct of political parties, candidates and governments during the election period.
The Commission is expected to release a detailed timeline covering the issuance of election notifications, nomination filing dates, scrutiny of nominations, the last date for withdrawal of candidatures, polling schedules and the counting of votes.
The elections assume significance as the terms of the current legislative assemblies in these regions are set to expire between May and June, making fresh mandates necessary.
Ahead of the announcement, the Commission has already completed a key preparatory step with the publication of the final electoral rolls for the four states and Puducherry following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) to ensure accuracy and inclusiveness in the voter database.
