Assam Assembly Elections: Key Dates and Nomination Process Announced

Overview of the Election Schedule

Guwahati, Mar 16: Following the release of the election schedule for the Assam Assembly elections, Chief Electoral Officer Anurag Goel provided details about the nomination process and important dates during a press briefing at Janata Bhawan.

Goel announced that candidates can submit their nominations starting from Monday until March 23, with submissions accepted daily between 11 am and 3 pm.

“Nominations will be collected at the District Commissioners' offices,” he stated.

The scrutiny of the nomination papers is scheduled for March 24, and candidates have until March 26 to withdraw their nominations.

“Once the scrutiny and withdrawals are completed, the ballot papers will be finalized and printed at secure government facilities for use in the electronic voting machines. The electronically transmitted postal ballots for military personnel will be dispatched by March 27 at 3 pm,” Goel explained.

He also mentioned that campaigning will be allowed until April 7.

“Campaigning will cease at 5 pm on April 7, as polling is set for April 9 from 7 am to 5 pm. Campaigning is prohibited 48 hours before polling ends,” he added.

Regarding potential repolls, Goel indicated that such decisions would be made by the Election Commission of India based on the situation.

He provided updated statistics on the electorate, noting that the number of registered voters rose from 2,49,58,239 when the electoral roll was published on February 10 to 2,50,21,413 by March 15. This reflects a net increase of approximately 64,000 voters, with around 1,64,000 new additions and about 100,000 deletions.

Assam's elections are scheduled for April 9, coinciding with those in Kerala and the Union Territory of Puducherry.

With the announcement of the election schedule, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has been activated immediately in the state, which restricts new policy announcements and the use of official resources for campaigning.