Chennai, Feb 25 (IANS) With Assembly elections scheduled in April and May across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Assam and the Union Territory of Puducherry, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar is set to undertake a crucial two-day visit to Puducherry and Tamil Nadu to review poll preparedness.

Gyanesh Kumar will arrive in Puducherry on Wednesday afternoon around 2 p.m., where he is expected to hold detailed consultations with senior officials, including Chief Secretary Sharath Chauhan and Director General of Police Shalini Singh.

The discussions will focus primarily on security arrangements, logistical preparedness, and measures to ensure free and fair elections in the Union Territory.

Ahead of the CEC’s visit, Puducherry Police on Tuesday convened a meeting with representatives of recognised political parties to discuss election-related security protocols and enforcement measures.

The meeting, held at the Puducherry Police Headquarters, was chaired by DIG Sathya Sundaram and attended by senior police officers.

Officials reviewed various aspects of election security, including law and order management, monitoring of sensitive booths, deployment planning, and adherence to the Model Code of Conduct once it comes into effect.

The CEC is also expected to interact with representatives of recognised political parties in Puducherry to gather feedback and address concerns related to electoral arrangements.

Following his Puducherry visit, he will travel to Tamil Nadu on Thursday and Friday.

He will be accompanied by seven Deputy Election Commissioners.

In Chennai on February 26, he will meet Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Archana Patnaik and senior election officials to assess the state’s readiness.

On Friday (February 27), the CEC will hold consultations with senior government officials and representatives of recognised political parties in Tamil Nadu.

The visit comes shortly after Deputy Election Commissioners completed preliminary inspections in the state last week.

The Chief Election Commissioner’s review is seen as a key step before the formal announcement of election dates, which is expected soon.

–IANS

aal/dpb