Assam poll dates to be announced by early March says PM

According to media reports, the ECI could announce the election dates in the first week of March. Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing a public meeting at Silapathar in Assam’s Dhemaji district, said, “Last time in 2016, the Assembly poll dates were announced on March 4. This year, it is my assumption that EC will announce the dates for Assembly Polls by March 7. It is up to them (EC) to announce the dates but till the announcement is made, I will visit Assam, West Bengal, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala as much as I can.”

The Election Commission is likely to hold a meeting on Wednesday to finalise the schedule for Assembly elections in 5 states — Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Union Territory of Puducherry. In these states, elections are due to be held in April-May.

The meeting will be chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora. Arora and top EC officials will discuss the deployment of the central forces in different districts in view of the polls.

The PM also further said, “Assuming that the election dates are announced on March 7, my efforts will be that before the election dates are announced, I will be travelling to Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry as much as possible.”