Assembly Election 2016
It will be a single-day polling in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry on May 16, while it will be in six phases in West Bengal and two in Assam.
Counting of votes in all the States will be held on May 19, Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi announced on Friday. The elections will also see for the first time a symbol, which has been created by the National School of Design, allotted to NOTA (None of the above) that will be placed at the bottom of the list of candidates.
Noting that voters are in the focus of the Commission, Mr. Zaidi said all booths will have seven basic facilities and there will also be all-women polling booths.
If possible polling centres will be set up in blind schools, leprosy centres to ensure inclusiveness.
Mobile squads will have GPS-fitted vehicles and be accompanied by central forces to ensure that they quickly attend to complaints.
Like in 2011, West Bengal will have polls spread over six phases. The first phase to be held in Naxal-affected areas will have two polling dates — April 4 and April 11. The other phases will be held on April 17, 21, 25, 30 and May 5. Assam will go to polls in two phases on April 4 and 11.
Mr. Zaidi said two dates in the first phase of polling in West Bengal have been decided keeping in mind the sensitive nature of the area and the availability of security personnel as they would also be deployed in Assam which is also considered sensitive.
He maintained that West Bengal will have polls in “overall” six phases.
Assam
Number of constituencies: 126
Number of phases: 2 (65, 61)
Date of Issue of Gazette Notification: March 11, 14
Last Date for Nominations: March 18, 21
Date for Scrutiny of Nominations: March 19, 22
Last date for withdrawal of candidatures: March 21, 26
Date of polling: April 4, 11
West Bengal
Number of constituencies: 294
Number of phases: 6* (18, 56, 62, 49, 53, 56 )
Date of Issue of Gazette Notification: March 11&14, 22, 28, April 1, 4, 7
Last Date for Nominations: March 18&21, 29, April 4, 8, 11
Date for Scrutiny of Nominations: March 19&22, 30, April 5, 9, 19
Last date for withdrawal of candidatures: March 21&26, April 1, 7, 11, 21
Date of poll: April 4&11, 17, 21, 25, 30, May 5
*First phase will be held on two days.
Kerala
Number of constituencies: 140
Date of Issue of Gazette Notification: April 22
Last Date for Nominations: April 29
Date for Scrutiny of Nominations: April 30
Last date for withdrawal of candidatures: May 2
Date of polling: May 16
Tamil Nadu
Number of constituencies: 234
Date of Issue of Gazette Notification: April 22
Last Date for Nominations: April 29
Date for Scrutiny of Nominations: April 30
Last date for withdrawal of candidatures: May 2
Date of polling: May 16
Puducherry
Number of constituencies: 30
Date of Issue of Gazette Notification: April 22
Last Date for Nominations: April 29
Date for Scrutiny of Nominations: April 30
Last date for withdrawal of candidatures: May 2
Date of polling: May 16
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