New Delhi, March 15 The Election Commission of India (ECI) will likely announce the poll schedule on Sunday for four states -- Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu -- and one Union Territory, Puducherry.
After evaluating the election readiness in these states and UT recently, the Commission is ready to finalise the election timetable.
The poll body has actively reviewed poll preparedness for the elections in several states, including West Bengal on March 9, Kerala on March 6, and Tamil Nadu on February 26.
Additionally, the ECI reviewed Assam's poll preparedness in February, focusing on security and electoral rolls.
The Assam Assembly will conclude its term on May 20, whereas the Kerala Assembly will finalise its tenure on May 23.
In Tamil Nadu, the Assembly's term is scheduled to end on May 10, and in West Bengal, it will finish on May 7.
The Commission interacted with political parties, ensuring voter protection and assessing Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) deployment.
To ensure the best possible utilisation of the CAPF for the upcoming Assembly polls in West Bengal, the ECI had decided to strip the district administration of the authority to determine the movement of the CAPF.
Until the last elections, District Magistrates, including District Electoral Officers, were authorised to determine the movement of the CAPF before, during, or after the polls while the MCC was in force.
However, this time, as the Commission decided, it will be the ECI-nominated police observers for the polls who will determine the CAPF movements for the respective districts.
The decision had been conveyed to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, during the two-day review tour of ECI's full bench on Monday and Tuesday (March 10), said sources in the CEO's office.
At the same time, the CEO's office sources said, district-specific composite teams will be formed to evaluate the pocket-specific requirement for CAPF deployment, and the decisions of the police officers in the matter will be final.
A total of 480 companies of the CAPF have arrived in West Bengal in two separate batches.
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