|
New Delhi: Tamil Nadu,
Kerala, Puducherry, Assam and West Bengal will go to polls in
April and May in the biggest popularity contest since the 2009 Lok
Sabha election, it was announced Tuesday.
Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi said some 150 million
voters will be eligible to take part in the elections that will
begin April 4 and conclude May 10.
The vote count will take place May 13, Quraishi told reporters at
his office.
While Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry will have a single phase
polling on April 13, Assam will see balloting on April 4 and 11.
Polling in West Bengal will be spread over six phases -- April 18,
23 and 27 and May 3, 7 and 10.
The April-May battle will dominantly involve the Left, the
Congress and regional parties like the Trinamool Congress, the
Asom Gana Parishad, the DMK and the AIADMK.
One of the keenest contests is expected in West Bengal, where the
Left Front led by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M),
which has been in power since 1977, faces its most serious
challenge.
The Left Front's biggest threat comes from the Trinamool Congress
of Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee who has vowed to unseat the
Marxists and form a government.
In Kerala, the coalitions led by the Left and Congress will take
on each other. The ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu will lead its alliance
against a resurgent AIADMK.
Assam's ruling Congress faces a divided opposition.
|
Comments
|
Quick links