New Delhi, Mar 10 : Lok Sabha elections will begin on April 11 and polling would be held over seven phases through May 19, followed by counting of all votes on May 23, the Election Commission announced on Sunday.
Assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal, Odisha and Sikkim will also be held simultaneously, the Election Commission (EC) said. However, elections for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly, which was dissolved after the ruling coalition between the BJP and the PDP fell apart, will not be held along with the Lok Sabha polls.
Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said the model code of conduct would come into immediate effect from Sunday and 10 lakhs polling stations would be set up this time as against about nine lakhs in 2014. Nearly 90 crore voters would be eligible to vote for 543 Lok Sabha constituencies across the country.
Announcing the schedule for 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission said the voter verifiable paper audit trail’ (VVPAT) will be used in all polling stations this time.
The first phase will be held on April 11, second on April 18, third on April 23 and fourth on April 29, fifth on May 6, sixth on May 12 and seventh phase on May 19.
Counting of votes for all seven phases covering 543 Lok Sabha constituencies would take place on May 23, Arora said.
In the first phase, 91 constituencies will to go for polls, 97 constituencies in the second phase, 115 constituencies in the third, 71 in fourth phase, 51 in fifth phase, 59 in sixth and 59 in the seventh phase.
With the model code of conduct for elections coming into immediate effect, the government cannot announce any policy move that may impact voters’ decision.
Arora said all political advertisements on social media will need pre-certification.
Phase1 polling will be held in 20 states, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Sikkim, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Andaman and Nicobar, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu and Lakshadweep.
Phase 2 polling will be held in Assam , Bihar , Chhattisgarh , J and K , Karnataka , Maharashtra , Manipur , Odisha , Tamil Nadu , Tripura , UP , West Bengal , Puducherry .
Polling in phase three will held in Assam , Bihar , Gujarat , Goa , J and K , Karnataka , Kerala , Maharashtra , Odisha , UP , WB , Dadra , Daman while phase 4 will held in Bihar , J and K , Jharkhand , Madhya Pradesh , Maharashtra , Odisha , Rajasthan , UP, WB .
In Phase 5 polls will held in Bihar , J and K , Jharkhand , MP , Rajasthan , UP , WB while in Phase 6, polls will be held for Bihar , Haryana , Jharkhand , MP , UP , WB , Delhi and in phase 7 polls will be held in Bihar, Jharkhand , MP , Punjab , WB , Chandigarh , UP , Himachal.
Election to 22 states will be held in a single phase while election to four states will be held in two phase and two states will go to polls in three phases.
Four states will go for polling in four phases. Jammu and Kashmir will go for polling in five phases while seven phase polling will be held in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
