Election Commission likely to announce election schedule in poll-bound states/UT today

The Election Commission of India will hold a press conference, in which the EC will likely to announce the election date for four states, including Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, and one Union Territory, Puducherry.

Election Commission of India likely to announce the schedule of elections in poll-bound states today. India is gearing up for a busy electoral calendar in 2026, with Assembly elections scheduled in four states and one Union Territory, along with urban local body polls planned in several major states.

The Election Commission of India will hold a press conference at 4 am Sunday at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. 

During this press conference, the EC will likely to announce the election date for four states, including Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, and one Union Territory, Puducherry.

Following the evaluation of election readiness in these states and Union Territory, the Commission is ready to finalise the election timetable. 

The poll body has actively reviewed election preparedness in several states, including West Bengal on March 9, Kerala on March 6, and Tamil Nadu on February 26.

Additionally, the ECI assessed poll readiness in Assam in February, with a focus on security arrangements and electoral rolls.

The term of the Assam Assembly will end on May 20, while the Kerala Assembly will complete its tenure on May 23. Meanwhile, in Tamil Nadu, the Assembly's term is scheduled to end on May 10, and in West Bengal, it will end on May 7.

Additionally, the West Bengal Legislative Assembly has a total of 294 seats, Assam has 126 seats, Kerala has 140 seats, and Tamil Nadu has 234 seats. Meanwhile, the Puducherry Legislative Assembly comprises 33 seats in total.

The Commission held interactions with political parties, focusing on voter protection and reviewing the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF).

Until the last elections, District Magistrates, including District Electoral Officers, were authorised to decide the movement of CAPF before, during, or after the polls while the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) was in force.

However, this time, the Commission has decided that ECI-nominated police observers for the elections will be responsible for determining CAPF movements in the respective districts.