M A I N   N E W S

EC announces poll schedule for five Assemblies
R. Suryamurthy
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 1
The Election Commission today announced multi-phased Assembly elections in five states from April 3 to May 8, with the Left bastion of West Bengal for the first time going in for a five-phase poll. Apart from West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala, and the Union Territory of Pondicherry would go to polls.

The Bengal polls schedule evoked stringent criticism from the CPM with the party’s Politburo member Sitaram Yechury accusing the poll panel of adopting “double standards” in deciding the dates.

“Number of phases in each state has been decided based on the ground reality, prevailing law and order situation, availability of Central paramilitary forces, views of the political parties, school examinations and local religious festivals,” the Chief Election Commissioner, Mr B.B. Tandon, told reporters here. The model code of conduct comes into force with immediate effect.

Flanked by two other Election Commissioners, Mr N. Gopalaswami and Mr Navin Chawla, the CEC said multi-phased elections have been announced for the conduct of free and fair elections.

While the 294 Assembly constituencies in West Bengal would have five-phase elections, Tamil Nadu, which has 234 Assembly seats, would have only one phase. The Union Territory of Pondicherry with 30 Assembly segments would have two-phased polls like Assam with 126 constituencies. Kerala with 140 Assembly constituencies would witness polls in three phases.

Communist bastion of West Bengal, where the poll panel has been active in the past few months on the electoral rolls issue, would go to polls on April 17, 22, 27, May 3 and 8. Tamil Nadu would go to polls on May 8.

Another red bastion of Kerala, which in the past has experienced clean and violence-free elections, would go to polls on April 22, 29 and May 3. While Pondicherry electorate would go to polls on May 3 and 8, the voters in Assam would cast their ballot on April 3 and 10.

The counting of votes would be held on May 11 and the election process would be completed by May 20.

To a question, what prompted the Election Commission to have a single-day vote in Tamil Nadu vis-a-vis five phases in West Bengal, Mr Tandon said all political parties in Tamil Nadu wanted a single-day poll and the decision was also based on the Commission’s own assessment. “We want to have a good and peaceful poll in all states,” he added.

For the first time, the Election Commission has decided to change the marking of indelible ink, which would now run from top of the nail to the bottom of the first joint of the left forefinger of a voter.

Mr Tandon said the Assembly elections to all seats in Kerala and Pondicherry would be held for the first time with the help of electoral rolls with photographs. In West Bengal, the electoral rolls have been prepared with photographs in respect of 46 Assembly segments also for the first time.