New Delhi, March 15: The Election Commission of India on Sunday announced the schedule for Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and the Union Territory of Puducherry.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said polling in Assam and Kerala will be held in a single phase on April 9, while Puducherry will also vote on the same day. Elections for all 234 Assembly seats in Tamil Nadu will take place in a single phase on April 23.
For the 294-member West Bengal Assembly, polling will be conducted in two phases. Voting for 152 constituencies will be held on April 23, while the remaining 142 seats will go to polls on April 29.
Counting of votes for all Assembly elections will be taken up on May 4.
The poll panel also announced by-elections for eight constituencies across Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tripura. Bypolls in Gujarat and Maharashtra will be held on April 23, while the remaining will take place on April 9. Results for the by-elections will also be declared on May 4.
The two-phase polling in West Bengal marks a shift from the previous Assembly election, which was conducted in eight phases over nearly a month.
Appealing to voters, Kumar urged citizens, particularly first-time voters, to participate in the democratic process and exercise their franchise.
