Off the wire
• News analysis: Should euthanasia in Portugal be made legal or is lack of palliative care the root problem?  • Zika infects lab-grown brain cells, strengthens link to microcephaly: study  • Protection urged for albinos in Malawi after brutal child killing  • 20 bln USD idle in domiciliary accounts of Nigerians: apex bank  • Military drills cease within buffer zone in east Ukraine, continue nearby: OSCE  • EC proposes roadmap for restoring fully functioning Schengen system  • Barclays Ghana says operations to continue  • Feature: Damascus youth return to favorite hangout during truce  • U.S. stocks extend gains after key jobs report  • 2nd LD: Brazil's ex-president Lula targeted in new anti-corruption probe  
You are here: 　 Home

India announces election dates in 5 states

Xinhua, March 5, 2016 Adjust font size:

India's Election Commission Friday announced a schedule for forthcoming local elections in five Indian states.

The elections for state assemblies (lawmaking bodies) will be held in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam and Puducherry.

India's Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said at a press conference that the elections will be held between April 4 and May 16, and vote-counting will be carried out on May 19.

More than 170 million people are expected to cast their votes to elect representatives to these state assemblies.

Elections in Assam will be held in two phases. In West Bengal, elections will be held in six phases. However, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry will have elections in a single phase.

With the announcement of the poll schedule, a model code of conduct has come into force across these five states.

"The commission is committed to curb the use of money and muscle power in the poll bound states and for this it has taken several initiatives in this direction," Zaidi said.

"More than adequate number of paramilitary forces will be deployed at all polling locations in the states," the commissioner added.

India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has not been a major player in the five states.

However, with its spectacular performance under Narendra Modi in 2014 general elections, the party aims to emerge in these states in the upcoming elections.

Last year, BJP suffered a defeat in eastern state of Bihar during similar elections, a second in row after Delhi elections. Endit