The Election Commission of India has announced the schedule for Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and the Union Territory of Puducherry.
Polling in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry will be held on 9 April, while Tamil Nadu will go to the polls on 23 April. Elections in West Bengal will take place in two phases on 23 April and 29 April.
Counting of votes for all the states and the Union Territory will be held on 4 May. With the announcement of the poll schedule, the Model Code of Conduct has come into force with immediate effect.
The elections will cover 824 assembly constituencies with over 17 crore eligible voters. More than two lakh polling stations will be set up and nearly 25 lakh election officials will be deployed.
The notification for elections in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry will be issued on 16 March. Notifications for Tamil Nadu and the first phase of polling in West Bengal will be issued on 30 March, while the notification for the second phase in West Bengal will be issued on 2 April.