The Election Commission of India has announced the schedule for the upcoming Assembly elections in five states. The elections will take place in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Assam, and the Union Territory of Puducherry. The current terms of these assemblies are set to end in May and June, so the polling process will be completed in April.

Kerala and Assam will go to the polls on April 9 in a single phase. Tamil Nadu and Puducherry will also hold voting in one phase on April 23.

West Bengal will have elections in two phases. The first phase will take place on April 23 and the second phase on April 29. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar announced the schedule during a press briefing.

The counting of votes for all five states will take place on May 4. The results will decide the future governments in these key states.

The elections will cover a large electorate. Assam has 126 Assembly seats while Kerala has 140 seats. Tamil Nadu has 234 seats and West Bengal has 294 seats. Puducherry has 30 Assembly seats. More than 174 million voters are expected to take part in the voting process.

With the announcement of the schedule, the Model Code of Conduct has come into effect in all the states.

These elections are politically important at the national level. In Tamil Nadu, the main contest is expected between the DMK alliance and the AIADMK and BJP alliance. Actor Vijay’s TVK party is also entering the electoral field for the first time, and many find that his party will change the equations.

Kerala will see a strong fight between the ruling LDF and the opposition UDF. In West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress will try to retain power while the opposition parties aim to challenge its dominance.

The Election Commission has said that central forces will be deployed to ensure peaceful polling across all states.