New Delhi

The Election Commission of India will undertake a three-day visit to Tamil Nadu and Puducherry from February 25 to 27 to evaluate preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections, officials said on Friday.

The delegation will be led by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Assembly polls are due in five states and Union Territories this year—Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Assam, Kerala and West Bengal.

Earlier this week, the Commission visited Assam to assess poll preparedness there. Speaking in Guwahati, Kumar said the election schedule for Assam would be finalised after factoring in the Bihu festival, which falls on April 14.

The Commission routinely conducts on-ground reviews in poll-bound states before announcing election dates. The terms of the five legislative assemblies conclude between May and June.

The five-year tenure of the Puducherry Assembly ends on June 15. The assemblies of Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal complete their terms on May 20, May 23, May 10 and May 7, respectively.

In the previous election cycle, West Bengal went to the polls in eight phases—the highest among the states—while Assam voted in two phases. Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry each had single-phase elections.

Among the states heading to polls, Puducherry was the first to release its final electoral roll following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), publishing it on February 14. West Bengal’s final voters’ list is scheduled for release on February 28.

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In Assam, where a Special Revision of electoral rolls was conducted instead of an SIR, the final voter list was published on February 10, officials added.