New Delhi [India], April 8 : The stage is set for assembly polls in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry in high-stakes electoral battles with the Election Commission making arrangements for free, fair and smooth polling.
Voting will be held for 126 seats in Assam, 140 in Keralam, and 30 in Puducherry in this phase of the election. Tamil Nadu will go to the polls on April 23 and West Bengal on April 23 and 29. Votes will be counted on May 4. The polling will begin at 7 am.
In Keralam, over 2.6 crore electors will decide the fate of 883 candidates across 140 constituencies.
Of the 2,69,53,644 registered voters across the state, there are 1,38,27,319 women voters and the number of male voters stands at 1,31,26,048. Officials said 277 voters have been registered in the 'third gender category.'
Among the electorate, nearly 4,24,518 voters fall in the 18-19 age group, while 2,04,608 voters are aged 85 years and above
To facilitate safe and secure polling, a total of 30,471 polling stations have been set up, which comprises 119 logistic and voter machine distribution centres and 41 vote counting centres.
Keralam Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U Kelkar on Tuesday said that 1.46 lakh trained polling personnel have been dispatched to polling stations.
"As part of the arrangements for Kerala Assembly elections, we have the total electorate of 2.71 crores, and the service voters are 53,984... We will be counting the votes in 140 strong rooms and 43 locations. We have 1.46 lakh polling personnel who have been trained and will be dispatched to all the polling stations," he said
"We have FIRs against 180 people in terms of election-related activities, and more than 1,200 police teams are very actively working in the field... We are ensuring that all the new initiatives by the Election Commission are implemented properly," he added.
The election is seen as a contest between the ruling LDF and opposition UDF, with the BJP-led NDA, which has been gaining vote share, also hopeful of its prospects in the southern state.
Left Democratic Front holds 99 seats in the current assembly and is aiming for a third consecutive term based on its performance and welfare schemes. The LDF created a record in 2021 as it retained the southern state, which, over the decades, has seen power alternating between the coalitions led by CPI(M) and Congress.
In Assam, more than 2.5 crore electors are eligible to exercise their franchise for 126-member legislative assembly. There are 722 candidates in the fray.
Of 2,50,54,463 electors, 1,25,31,552 are male voters and 1,25,22,593 females. There are 318 voters in the Transgender category and 63,423 service voters.
Among the electorate, 6,42,314 voters are in the age group of 18-19 years, 2,50,006 are above 80 years of age, and 2,05,085 are persons with disabilities.
To strengthen the monitoring mechanism, webcasting facilities have been arranged in accordance with the Commission's directions, a release said.
Webcasting has been enabled in all 31,490 polling stations, including 31,486 main polling stations and 4 auxiliary polling stations.
A total of 1,51,132 polling personnel have been deployed for the conduct of the election. For polling purposes, 41,320 Ballot Units, 43,975 Control Units, and 43,997 VVPAT machines have been arranged, including reserves for emergency use. Additional polling personnel have also been kept in readiness, if required.
The Congress has stitched a six-party alliance to take on the ruling BJP-led NDA, which is seeking its third successive term in office.
In Puducherry, 10,14,070 electors are eligible to cast their votes to elect a 30-member Legislative Assembly.
The electorate includes 5,39,125 female voters, 4,74,788 male voters, and 157 voters belonging to the third gender category.
A total of 24,156 voters fall in the age group of 18-19 years, while 6,034 voters belong to the senior citizen category, aged 85 and above.
Speaking with ANI, Puducherry Chief Electoral Officer P Jawahar said that 110 sector officers have been deployed across 1,099 polling stations, out of which 209 stations are categorised as vulnerable.
He added that following the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct, flying squads and helplines are being used to track violations.
"The Election Department of Puducherry, through its district and returning officers, has made extensive arrangements. Logistics are crucial, with polling parties and materials being dispatched to stations on time. This process is tracked using drones and 110 sector officers across 1,099 polling stations... On security, multi-level measures are in place. Of these, 209 polling stations are categorised as vulnerable, where central armed police forces are deployed alongside local police to prevent incidents," he said.
"Enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct is strict during the 48-hour silence period. Campaigning is banned, liquor outlets are closed, and inducements are closely monitored. Drones, flying squads, and the helpline are used to track violations in real time... Technology plays a key role, especially in regions like Mahe and Yanam, which are far from Puducherry. Drone feeds from these areas are monitored live in 4K quality," he added.
In Puducherry, the contest involves the ruling NDA, which includes NR Congress and BJP and the Congress-DMK alliance. Actor Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) is seeking to make it triangular.
The term of legislative assembly is set to expire on June 15.