Overview
- Kerala, Assam and Puducherry will vote on April 9, Tamil Nadu on April 23, and West Bengal in two phases on April 23 and 29, with the code of conduct taking effect immediately.
- About 17.4 crore electors will cast ballots at roughly 2.19 lakh polling stations staffed by around 25 lakh officials, the Election Commission said.
- West Bengal’s polling has been compressed to two phases from eight in 2021, a move the Chief Election Commissioner said followed detailed deliberations for stakeholder convenience.
- Final electoral rolls were published after the Special Intensive Revision; West Bengal recorded exclusions exceeding 61 lakh with numerous cases still under adjudication under Supreme Court-directed judicial oversight.
- The Commission appointed central observers under Article 324 and Section 20B to oversee the process and also scheduled eight by-elections, including Baramati in Maharashtra.