Assam, Kerala and Puducherry are observing a mandatory ‘silent period’ ahead of Thursday’s Assembly elections All campaign-related activities are now banned Indian stock markets rally after the announcement of the US-Iran ceasefire
Here are the latest developments from India on Wednesday, April 8:
Poll preparations underway in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry
After witnessing a fiery election campaign, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry have entered a 48-hour silent period which prohibits public meetings, rallies, processions, opinion polls and any voter outreach.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) imposed the silence period on Tuesday evening.
The measure also bans the dissemination of poll-related content on electronic media, social media, bulk SMS, or calls. Display of opinion polls and survey results on TV is also barred.
A single-phase election will be held on Thursday in a total of 126 constituencies in Assam, 140 in Kerala and 30 in Puducherry.
Polling officers on Wednesday began preparing for the democratic exercise.
Election materials, including EVMs, were handed over to polling personnel in the regions.
In Assam, some 250 million voters will cast their ballots for 722 candidates.
The state’s Chief Electoral Officer, Anurag Goel, urged all candidates, political parties and media organizations to strictly adhere to the ECI guidelines, cautioning that any violation would lead to penal action.
India’s Central Armed Police Forces, including the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), have been deployed to ensure security at the polling booths.
Meanwhile, in Kerala, six people were injured on Tuesday in a clash between workers of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kannur as campaigning came to a close.
The southern state has 27 million eligible voters and 890 candidates in the fray.
In the union territory of Puducherry, 950,000 voters will exercise their franchise, with 294 candidates putting their hat in the ring.
Welcome to our coverage
Good morning! This is Dharvi Vaid Dhulia from DW’s studio in New Delhi, bringing you your daily wrap of news from India.
A spell of rain lashed the National Capital Region last night, offering some respite from the rising heat.
But the power corridors in New Delhi are sure to be sweltering as the two key states of Assam and Kerala and the union territory of Puducherry head to polls tomorrow.
A high-octane election campaign has come to an end.
The last few weeks have seen India’s two top politicians, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, canvassing for the candidates of their respective parties in the poll-bound regions. The rallies were marked with massive roadshows and a lot of political mudslinging.
Meanwhile, Indian markets have surged 3% as they opened to the news of a ceasefire between the US and Iran.
We are also keeping an eye on reactions from India on the ceasefire, as the country struggles with an LPG crisis triggered by the Middle East war.
Stay tuned for more.
