Setting the stage for a two months long electoral battle for the world biggest election exercise in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will bid for a third consecutive term, the Election Commission (EC) on Saturday announced that the Lok Sabha elections will be kicking off on April 19 and will be held in seven phases. The results will be declared on June 4.
The general elections will be held through the months of April and May and the EC claimed to have framed the poll scheduled keeping in mind the regional climatic conditions besides certain festivals in between.
Four States, Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim will also be holding simultaneous Assembly elections. The Model Code of Conduct, which bars the Government in power from announcing any new policy decisions, comes into effect immediately after the announcement.
Addressing a press conference, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar along with two election commissioners—Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu—announced that Lok Sabha polling for the 543 Sabha seats will begin with first phase of polling on April 19, followed by April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1 and the counting of votes will take place on June 4.
While Lok Sabha elections in the national Capital will occur in a single phase on May 25, polling will be held in all seven phases in three States -- Bihar, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.
Assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim will be held on April 19 and in Andhra Pradesh on May 13. Elections to Odisha Assembly will be held in four phases on May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. Bypolls will also be held for 26 Assembly constituencies, Kumar said. The Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir would take place soon after the Lok Sabha polls due to security concerns, with both events deemed unfeasible to be held simultaneously. The Lok Sabha polls will be conducted in seven phases starting April 19, with the results to be declared on June 4, while voting in Jammu and Kashmir will take place in five phases.
The term of the 17th Lok Sabha is set to end on June 16 while the terms of the Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim assemblies will end on June 11, June 2, June 24 and June 2, respectively. Last time the Lok Sabha polls were announced on March 10 and held in seven phases beginning April 11. Votes were counted on May 23.
In the first phase on April 19, voting will take place in 102 constituencies spread over 21 States/UTs including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Jammu and Kashmir with 10 States/UTs completing the poll process in this phase.
Voting will take place in 89 constituencies across 13 states/UTs in the second phase on April 26.
