EC to visit Puducherry and TN to review poll preparedness

Weeks before it finalise schedule for assembly elections in five states, the Election Commission will visit Puducherry and Tamil Nadu for three days beginning February 9 to review poll preparedness.
The three Election Commissioners, along with other senior officers of the poll panel, will be in Puducherry on February nine and in Tamil Nadu on February 10 and 11, sources said.
Assembly elections are likely be held in West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in April-May. The EC has already visited West Bengal and Assam to take stock of poll preparedness in the two states.
While the term of assemblies in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal is coming to an end in May, the tenure of those in Kerala, Puducherry and Assam is coming to an end in June.

The 'full' Commission comprising Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi and fellow Commissioners A K Joti and O P Rawat would reach Chennai on February nine from where it will proceed for Puducherry. The Commission will return to Chennai the next day and hold interaction with top civil and police officials along with political leaders of Tamil Nadu for two days.
The EC team will be in Kerala on Wednesday, February 3 and return to Delhi on February 5. In Kerala, it will visit Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.

The Commission is likely to announce the poll schedule for the five states in March.

Since the elections are in five states at the same time, the EC will take into consideration the availability of central forces while deciding the schedule.
The Commission will also factor in festivals, weather conditions and school examinations while working out the schedule.