1st Phase: 4th April (65 constituencies)
2nd Phase: 11th April (61 constituencies)
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)
Single Phase: 16th May (140 constituencies)
Single Phase: 16th May (234 constituencies)
Single Phase: 16th May
Results to be declared on 19 May.
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
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.
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.
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 has 30 assembly constituencies.
Election Commission is likely to announce the schedule for assembly polls in five states, including West Bengal and Tamil Nadu today.
EC has convened a press conference this afternoon where polls to Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala could be announced.
As per available indications, the polls would be held in April-May. The terms of the five assemblies are ending in April and May.
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