Assembly Election Dates
1. Assam
1st Phase: 4th April (65 constituencies)
2nd Phase: 11th April (61 constituencies)
2. West Bengal
1st Phase: 4th April (18 constituencies) and 11th April (31 constituencies)
2nd Phase: 17th April (61 constituencies)
3rd Phase: 21st April (62 constituencies)
4th Phase: 25th April
5th Phase: 30th April
6th Phase: 5th May (25 constituencies)
3. Kerala
Single Phase: 16th May (140 constituencies)
4. Tamil Nadu
Single Phase: 16th May (234 constituencies)
5. Puducherry
Single Phase: 16th May
Results to be declared on 19 May.
The Big Numbers
- Over 17 crore electors to participate in the upcoming elections
- Number of polling stations has been increased in all 5 states for voter facilitation
- 824 assembly constituencies are going to poll
Highlights
- NOTA symbol to be used for first time in these polls instead of text.
- 18000 paper trail packs to be provided in 64 constituencies
- Electronic voting machines to be used in all polling stations
- All women polling stations to be set up in the five states
- Photos of candidates will be displayed to remove confusion in the minds of voters
- An effective monitoring of preventive actions against anti social elements commences today
- All flying squads and mobile teams to have GPS for better internal monitoring
Voter Break-up
1.98 crore in Assam
2.56 crore in Kerala
5.8 crore in Tamil Nadu
6.55 crore in West Bengal
9.27 lakh in Puducherrry
West Bengal
The ruling Trinamool Congress heads into the Assembly election confidently despite the CPI(M) getting into a pre-poll alliance with the Congress.
Trinamool won 194 seats in the 2011 elections, leaving the Left Front in the second spot at a distant 60. The House has 294 seats.
West Bengal has seen rising polarisation over the last few years following violence between Trinamool and BJP cadres in Birbhum.
On Thursday, state BJP unit chief Dilip Ghosh opened a fresh salvo claiming he will behead anyone who raises slogans of Pakistan zindabad.
Tamil Nadu
Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has anti-incumbency to fear especially after the PR disaster of the mismanagement of the floods in Chennai in December 2015.
Her party, the AIADMK, defeated the DMK in 2011 winning 150 seats to 23 of the DMK. Actor Vijayakanth’s DMDK pipped the DMK as well with 29 seats. The Tamil Nadu Assembly has 234 seats.
AIADMK is said to be toying over an alliance with rebel Congress leader GK Vasan. This is after the DMK stitched up an alliance with the Congress.
Vijayakanth, who is being wooed by the BJP for 2016, is said to be considering siding with the DMK instead. The PMK is contesting alone. The MDMK has tied up with the Left parties and some Dalit outfits this time.
Assam
In Assam, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has tied up with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). They have claimed that the assembly election in the key north eastern state will be a contest between “all indigenous people” led by it on one side and Congress and the UDF on the other. Assam has 126 assembly constituencies. Chief minister Tarun Gogoi fights 15 years of anti-incumbency.
Puducherry
Puducherry has 30 assembly constituencies.