Election schedule for 5 states, UTs to be announced today
What's the story
The Election Commission of India(ECI) will announce the schedule for the upcoming assembly elections in five states and union territories on Sunday. The announcement will be made at a press conference at 4:00pm at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The states and UTs headed to the polls are Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry.
Election guidelines
Model code of conduct comes into effect
As per reports, the model code of conduct will come into effect with this announcement. This means political parties cannot make any announcements to influence voters. The ECI panel, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and including Election Commissioners Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr Vivek Joshi, will also announce details about notifications, nominations, voting schedules, and result declarations.
Election phases
West Bengal elections likely to be in 3 phases
West Bengal is expected to be the focal point of this election season. The state will likely vote in three phases, with most political parties agreeing on this plan. Mamata Banerjee of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) is seeking a fourth consecutive term, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) opposes her government.
Southern contests
Key highlights from Tamil Nadu and Kerala elections
In Tamil Nadu, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief MK Stalin is seeking a second consecutive term. The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) has allied with the BJP in opposition. Actor-turned-politician Vijay's entry with his party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam adds another dimension to this election. Keralam will see a contest between the Left and the Indian National Congress (INC). Pinarayi Vijayan of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) seeks a third term after two consecutive ones.
Northeastern politics
Assam and Puducherry elections
Assam's Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is seeking a second term, with the Congress hoping for a breakthrough. The opposition has seen major exits recently, including former state president Bhupen Borah. In Puducherry, the All India NR Congress and Chief Minister N Rangasamy are seeking a third term. The DMK opposes them in this union territory election.