Five States will go to polls over April and May, the Election Commission announced here on Friday. West Bengal will see a six-phase poll starting on April 4 and ending on May 5, and Assam will have a two-phase poll on April 4 and 11.
The southern States of Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, as well as Puducherry, will go to polls on May 16, to elect their new legislative assemblies. The counting for all the States will be held on May 19.
The model code of conduct, that prevents the government in a State going to polls, and also the Centre, from making any announcements of new projects, programmes, concessions, financial grants in any form and laying of foundation stones – which have the effect of influencing voters in favour of the party – comes into immediate effect, the Commission added.
The first phase of the polls in West Bengal will be spread over two days, with the second day of polling on April 11. The Commission said that this was being done for security reasons.
The third phase of the polls in West Bengal on April 21 will see 62 Assembly constituencies going to the polls, the largest number in any one day in the State during these elections.
The Commission decided to have polling in all the five States together as their terms expire between May 22 as in the case of Tamil Nadu, and June 5, as in the case of Assam.
In Tamil Nadu, over 5.79 crore voters will be eligible to cast their votes during the Assembly elections, while in West Bengal over 6.55 crore voters will be eligible to cast their votes. Puducherry has over 9.27 lakh registered voters. The number of voters eligible to vote may go up as the Commission will register voters till 10 days before the last date of filing of nominations, officials indicated.
For the first time, the Commission will provide a new symbol for the ‘None of the Above’ or NOTA option. Till now, the Commission only had a button against NOTA on the EVMs.
The new symbol follows a Supreme Court direction that there should be a NOTA option on the ballot paper and electronic voting machines.