People wait to cast their votes at a polling station during the third phase of assembly election in Gauhati, Assam, India, April 6, 2021. (ANUPAM NATH / AP)
NEW DELHI – Voting for local elections is underway in India's Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Assam and West Bengal, officials said Tuesday.
The elections in these states are taking place at a time when India is witnessing a resurgence in COVID-19 cases. Officials said the voting was being held in strict adherence to the COVID-19 protocol.
According to the Election Commission of India, elections will be completed in a single phase in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, while voting in Assam and West Bengal is in the third phase
Voting began at 7:00 am (local time) in all poll-bound states and will continue until 6:00 pm (local time) in Assam, 6:30 pm in West Bengal and 7:00 pm in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.
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According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), elections will be completed in a single phase in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, while voting in Assam and West Bengal is in the third phase.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged voters to vote in record numbers.
In all the five poll-bound places, there is tough competition between India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and opposition parties.
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Counting of votes in all five states would be carried out on May 2.