TN, Puducherry Poll Dates Likely By Early March As ECI Begins Key Consultations

Chennai/Puducherry: The schedule for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Assembly elections is expected to be announced early March, following a series of high-level consultations by the Election Commission of India.

With the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections likely to be held in the next couple of months, political parties have intensified preparations, including filing applications for party tickets, launching early campaign activities and holding seat-sharing talks. The Election Commission too has stepped up efforts to ensure the smooth conduct of the polls.

Earlier, the Election Commission had announced a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in 12 states, including Tamil Nadu, following Bihar. The revision process has since been completed, and the final electoral roll was published on February 23. According to the updated list, Tamil Nadu has a total of 5.67 crore registered voters.

On February 12 and 13, a team from the Election Commission of India held consultations with Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Archana Patnaik regarding poll preparedness. Later, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar arrived in Puducherry to review election arrangements. He is meeting representatives of various political parties and senior officials to assess preparedness for the Assembly elections.

Following his Puducherry visit, Gyanesh is scheduled to visit Chennai on February 26. On Wednesday, he will chair a meeting with representatives of recognised political parties at a private star hotel in MRC Nagar. The discussions are expected to focus on preventing the distribution of money among voters and ensuring the smooth and fair conduct of elections.

Later in the day, the Chief Election Commissioner will hold consultations with District Election Officers, Superintendents of Police and other senior officials. Law and order preparedness, identification of vulnerable and sensitive polling booths, and enforcement strategies will be reviewed during the meeting.

On February 27, Kumar, along with Archana Patnaik, will convene a coordination meeting with nodal officers from more than 20 departments, including the Income Tax Department, Customs, Police, Railways, paramilitary forces, Postal Department and Civil Aviation authorities.

Key issues on the agenda include security arrangements at polling stations, installation of surveillance cameras and ensuring basic amenities for voters.

After concluding the series of meetings, the Chief Election Commissioner is expected to address the media on the afternoon of February 27 to outline the steps taken for poll preparedness. Following this, the official announcement of election dates for the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Assemblies is likely in early March.

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