Representational image. PTI

Assembly Election Dates Announcement LATEST Updates: Barely an hour before the Election Commission releases the poll dates, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced a hike in minimum wages for daily wage labourers.

The is the second Assembly election to be conducted amid COVID-19 pandemic. The Election Commission had successfully conducted Bihar Assembly elections in November last year.

The Election Commission is expected to announce the schedule of upcoming Assembly elections in five states at 4.30 pm on Friday, News18 reported.

EC to announce poll dates of 5 states today at 4.30pm

— Marya Shakil (@maryashakil) February 26, 2021

Earlier on Wednesday, the poll panel held a meeting to finalise the dates for the poll-bound states — West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala — and Union Territory Puducherry.

Moreover, Deputy Election Commissioner Sudip Jain, who is also the in-charge of West Bengal, will be travelling to Kolkata on Friday to take note of the preparedness and updates.

During his visit, Jain will hold a series of meetings with district magistrates and police superintendents. He would also seek a detailed plan from each of the district administration about deployment of central forces, reported The New Indian Express.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Election Commission is likely to hold elections in West Bengal in seven-eight phases. In 2016, elections were held in six phases from 4 April to 5 May.

Meanwhile, the blast in Murshidabad’s Nimtita and the recent violence in parts of West Midnapore have prompted the poll body to label 6,400 booths in Bengal as “extremely sensitive”.

“The EC, after preliminary investigation, has identified 6,400 booths as extremely sensitive. This is the highest among the four poll-bound states and a Union Territory,” a state election commission official was quoted by The Times of India as saying.

The terms of the legislative Assemblies of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry will come to an end either in May or June this year.