EC announces polls schedule: Single phase in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, TN; 2 phases in Bengal
New Delhi (PTI): Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry will be held on a single day on April 9, in Tamil Nadu on April 23 and in two phases in West Bengal on April 23 and 29, while votes will be counted for all polls on May 4, the Election Commission announced on Sunday.
Compared to eight voting days spread across almost a month in 2021, there will be three polling days in a 20-day period in these elections, which will see the BJP trying to retain power in Assam, while it will be pitted against ruling parties in West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Puducherry is governed by NDA partner All India N R Congress.
A total of 17.4 crore voters are eligible to vote in the elections to five assemblies with 824 constituencies, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said at a press conference here.
"Voting for all seats in Assam will be held on April 9. Voting in West Bengal will take place in two phases on April 23 and April 29.
"The voting for all seats in Kerala and Puducherry will take place on April 9, while all Tamil Nadu seats will go to polls on April 23," said Kumar, who was flanked by the two Election Commissioners -- Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.
The model code of conduct has come into effect immediately with the announcement of the poll schedule.
Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Kerala are currently ruled by opposition DMK, Trinamool Congress and Left Front, respectively.
There are 234 assembly seats in Tamil Nadu where DMK leader M K Stalin has been the chief minister since 2021.
West Bengal has a total of 294 assembly seats with TMC leader Mamata Banerjee in power since 2011.
Kerala has 140 seats and Left leader Pinarayi Vijayan has been the chief minister since 2016, leading the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government.
In Assam, there are 126 assembly seats, and the BJP has been in power in the Northeastern state since 2016. Himanta Biswa Sarma has been the chief minister since 2021.
Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy has been in power since 2021. The UT has a total of 30 seats where polling will take place.
CEC Kumar said the elections must be free of violence or inducement and warned that the EC will take strong action against any violation.
Asked about the announcement made by the West Bengal chief minister, barely minutes ahead of the scheduled announcement of the assembly polls, about the clearance of DA arrears of its employees and a hike in honorarium of purohits and muezzins, Kumar said whatever has happened has happened but the model code of conduct comes into effect immediately and no such announcements could be made henceforth.
For Assam, Kerala and Puducherry, the notification for the elections will be issued on March 16, and the last date for filing nominations is March 23. Scrutiny of nominations will take place on March 24 and the last date for the withdrawal of candidatures is March 26.
For Tamil Nadu, the notification for the polls will be issued on March 30 and the last date for filing nominations is April 6. The date for the scrutiny of nominations is April 7 and the last date for the withdrawal of candidatures is April 9.
In the first phase elections in West Bengal, notifications will be issued on March 30, while for the second phase on April 2. The last date for filing nominations for the first phase is April 6 and for the second phase is April 9.
The scrutiny of nominations for the first phase elections in West Bengal will take place on April 7 and for the second phase on April 10. The last date for the withdrawal of candidatures for the first phase is April 9 and for the second phase is April 13.
In West Bengal, polling will be held in 152 assembly constituencies in the first phase and in 142 seats in the second phase.
CEC Kumar said presiding officers at all polling booths will upload voter turnout data every two hours and immediately after voting ends.
"The Election Commission will ensure greater transparency in the counting of votes and announcement of results. Election Commission has asked all enforcement agencies to ensure elections are impartial and violence-free," he said.
Opposition parties had raised questions on the voter turnout data after the last few assembly elections.
The term of the assembly will come to an end in West Bengal on May 7, in Tamil Nadu on May 10, in Assam on May 20, in Kerala on May 23, and in Puducherry on June 15.
There are 6.4 crore voters in West Bengal, 5.67 crore in Tamil Nadu, 2.7 crore in Kerala, 2.5 crore in Assam and 9.44 lakh in Puducherry.
There will be 2,18,807 polling stations in all four states and one UT -- of which 31,486 booths are in Assam, 30,471 in Kerala, 75,032 in Tamil Nadu, 80,719 in West Bengal and 1,099 in Puducherry.
A total of 25 lakh election officials will be deployed, out of which 15 lakh are polling personnel, 8.5 lakh security personnel, 49,000 micro observers for polling, 1,444 observers, 40,000 counting officials, 21,000 sector officers and 15,000 micro observers for counting.
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Trump's call for countries to send warships to protect Hormuz brings no promises
Cairo (AP): US President Donald Trump's appeal to China, France, Japan, South Korea, Britain and others to send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz “open and safe" brought no commitments on Sunday as oil prices soar during the Iran war.
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright told NBC he has been “in dialogue” with some of the countries, and said he expected China “will be a constructive partner" in reopening the strait through which one-fifth of global oil exports normally pass.
Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, told CBS that Tehran has been “approached by a number of countries" seeking safe passage for their vessels, "and this is up to our military to decide.” He said a group of vessels from “different countries” had been allowed to pass, without providing details.
Iran has said the strait is open to all except the United States and its allies.
"We don't see any reason why we should talk with Americans” about finding a way to end the war, Araghchi added, noting that Israel and the US started the fighting with coordinated attacks on Feb 28 during indirect US-Iran talks. The talks focused on Iran's nuclear programme, and Araghchi said Tehran had "no plan to recover” enriched uranium that is under rubble following US and Israeli attacks last year.
“We are intensively looking with our allies at what can be done, because it's so important that we get the strait reopened,” UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband told Sky News, adding that ending the war is the “best and surest” way to do it.
South Korea's Foreign Ministry said it “takes note” of Trump's call and that it “will closely coordinate and carefully review” the situation with the US.
Expectations are high that Trump will ask Japan directly when Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi meets him on Thursday at the White House.
There was no immediate response from China.
France previously said it is working with countries — President Emmanuel Macron mentioned partners in Europe, India and other Asian ones — on a possible international mission to escort ships through the strait but has stressed it must be when “the circumstances permit,” when fighting has subsided.
Meanwhile, emergency oil stocks “will soon start flowing to global markets,” the International Energy Agency said Sunday, describing the collective action to lower prices “by far the largest ever.”
It updated last week's announcement of 400 million barrels to nearly 412 million. Asian member countries plan to release stocks “immediately,” and reserves from Europe and the Americas will be released “from the end of March.”
Gulf Arab states reported new missile and drone attacks a day after Iran called for the evacuation of three major ports in the United Arab Emirates — the first time it has threatened a neighbouring country's non-US assets. Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE said they were working to intercept projectiles.
Iran has accused the US of launching Friday's strikes on Kharg Island, home to Iran's primary oil terminal, from the UAE, without providing evidence.
US Central Command said it had no response to Iran's claim, and Anwar Gargash, a diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, rejected it. Gulf countries that host US bases have denied allowing their land or airspace to be used for military operations against Iran.
Iran has threatened to attack the region's US-linked “oil, economic and energy infrastructures” if the Islamic Republic's oil infrastructure is hit.
Iran has fired hundreds of missiles and drones at the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman during the war, causing significant damage and rattling economies even as most are intercepted. Tehran says it targets US assets, even as Iranian strikes are reported at civilian sites such as airports and oil fields.
Iranian strikes have killed at least a dozen civilians in Gulf countries, most of them migrant workers.
In Iran, the International Committee for the Red Cross said more than 1,300 people have been killed. Iran's Health Ministry said 223 women and 202 children are among the dead, according to Mizan, the judiciary's official news agency.
Iran's government on Sunday showed journalists buildings damaged by strikes in Tehran on Friday. A police station was hit and surrounding buildings were damaged. Some apartments' outer walls had been stripped away.
“God had mercy on all of us,” said Elham Movagghari, a resident.
In Israel, 12 people have been killed by Iranian missile fire and more have been injured, including three on Sunday. At least 13 US military members have been killed, six in a plane crash in Iraq last week.
At least 820 people have been killed in Lebanon, according to its Health Ministry, since Iran-backed Hezbollah started hitting Israel and Israel responded with strikes and sent additional troops into southern Lebanon.
In just 10 days, more than 800,000 people — nearly one out of every seven residents of Lebanon — have been displaced, just over a year since the last conflict uprooted over a million Lebanese.
In Beirut, displaced families fixed tents battered by wind and rain. Fadi Younes, displaced from the southern suburbs, told The Associated Press that his mattresses and blankets were soaked.
“We don't know where this will end,” he said.
In the southern suburb of Haret Hreik, there was scarcely a person in sight when crews arrived to clear the streets of rubble.
Israel said it continued to strike Iran. Iran fired missiles toward Israel.
Several strikes hit central Israel and the Tel Aviv area, where they caused damage at 23 sites and sparked a small fire. Magen David Adom, Israel's rescue service, released video showing a large crater in a street and shrapnel damage to an apartment building.
Multi-site impacts have become a hallmark of the war, as Israel's military says Iran is firing cluster bombs that can evade some air defences and scatter submunitions across multiple locations.
