The Election Commission of India will hold a press conference at 4 p.m. Sunday to likely announce the schedule of Assembly elections in poll-bound states, news agency ANI reported.
Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and the Union Territory of Puducherry are due to head into elections this summer. The five-year term of their respective Legislative Assemblies will expire in May.
The National Democratic Alliance led by the Bharatiya Janata Party is in power in Assam and Puducherry. The rest are governed by opposition parties like Trinamool Congress (Bengal), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam alliance (TN) and the Left Front (Kerala).
Once the poll dates are declared, the model code of conduct will come into force, meaning that no political party can now make any announcement to woo voters. The ECI will assume control of the state machinery.
The elections are likely to be held in a single phase in all states, except Bengal. Sources told NDTV the polls may be conducted over 3-4 phases in the eastern state which has a history of political violence every election.
During the 2021 Assembly polls, voting in Bengal was held over eight phases. In Assam, the elections were conducted in three phases, while Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry went to the polls in a single phase.
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Current Setup
In Bengal, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee is eyeing a fourth consecutive term in power, while the opposition BJP is going all-out to turn the tables. The elections in Bengal are being held in the aftermath of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), which became a subject of intense politicking and also reached the Supreme Court.
DMK chief MK Stalin is eyeing a second term in power in Tamil Nadu. As for the opposition, AIADMK and BJP have tied up, but a big talking point in this election is actor-politician Vijay, who has entered the political arena with his party TVK.
The neighbouring Kerala is gearing up for a Left vs Congress battle. The state, known to change the ruling party every election, has already given two consecutive terms to veteran communist Pinarayi Vijayan, and he is looking to clinch a third. The Congress is emboldened by the results of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, but its poll efforts can succeed only if it can keep infighting in check.
The other battle this election season is being fought in Assam. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is eyeing a second term in power, while the Congress is hoping for a breakthrough. The opposition, led by state Congress chief and senior party leader Gaurav Gogoi, has seen some major exits over the past couple of months, including that of former state president Bhupen Borah, and will need to keep its house to pose a major challenge to the BJP.
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