The Election Commission announced the poll dates for four states and an Union Territory today. The voting begins on March 27 and counting of votes will be held on May 2. The states include Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Assam and the Union Territory of Puducherry where elections are due in April-May.
Elections in Bengal will be held in eight phases on March 27, April 1, April 6, April 10, April 17, April 22, April 26 and April 29.
Elections in Kerala will be held in a single phase on April 6.
Puducherry will vote in a single phase on April 6.
Elections in Tamil Nadu will be held in a single phase on April 6.
Assam will vote in three phases on March 27, April 1 and April 6.
The counting of votes for all states will be held on May 2.
Polls are to be held for 294 seats in West Bengal, 234 seats in Tamil Nadu, 140 seats in Kerala, 126 seats in Assam and 30 seats in the Union Territory of Puducherry.
After Bihar, this is the first major set of elections to be held in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.
Bengal will see the most high stakes battle with two-time Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee facing a tough challenge from the BJP amid an exodus from her Trinamool Congress to the BJP and corruption investigations against her party leaders.
The BJP is also campaigning aggressively to retain power in Assam, where it won for the first time in 2016, beating the Congress.