Nine phase Lok Sabha elections from April 7

The Election Commission on Wednesday announced a nine-phase poll for the 16th Lok Sabha from April 7 to May 12. The counting of votes will be taken up on May 16. The model code of conduct has come into force with immediate effect. The Lok Sabha has a strength of 543 (excluding two nominated members) and the term of the present 15th Lok Sabha ends on May 31. The nine phases of polls are to be held on: April 7, 9, 10, 12, 17, 24, 30, May 7 and May 12. The elections to the 294-member Andhra Pradesh Assembly will be held on April 30 and May 7 along with the respective Lok Sabha constituencies in the State. It will be on April 10 and 17 in Odisha for the Assembly/Lok Sabha and April 12 for the Sikkim Assembly/Lok Sabha seat. The Odisha Assembly has a strength of 147 members and the Sikkim Assembly 32 members. Announcing the poll schedule at a crowded press conference in Vigyan Bhavan, Chief Election Commissioner V.S. Sampath, who was flanked by Election Commissioners H.S. Brahma and S.N.A. Zaidi, said Bihar and Uttar Pradesh will have the maximum of six phases polls each, followed by Jammu and Kashmir and West Bengal five phase poll each. It will be three phase poll in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, two phases in Andhra Pradesh, Manipur, Odisha, Rajasthan and Tripura. All the remaining States and the Union Territories wil have a single phase poll. A massive 81.4 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise through 9.13 lakh polling stations. Nearly 96 per cent of the voters have already been given Elector Photo Identity Card (EPIC). This is the first time in the Indian election history, the polls are held in nine phases spread over two months. The EVMs will have the voters to utilise the "none of the above" (NOTA) button if they wished not to vote to any candidate. Announcing the election schedule, Mr. Sampath said, this should not be viewed as phases. “They are poll days,” he said. Special camps will be organised at all polling stations on March 9 for voters to verify, add or modify their details in the electoral list. Election Commission has decided to distribute photo election slips with polling station details at his/her doorstep, within 3-7 days from the date of the poll. State-wise polling days: Andhra Pradesh: April 30, May 7 Arunachal Pradesh: April 9 Assam: April 7, 12, 24 Bihar: April 10, 17, 24, 30, May 7 and 12 Chhattisgarh: April 10, 17, 24 Goa: April 17 Gujarat: - April 30 Haryana: April 10 Himachal Pradesh: May 7 Jammu and Kashmir: April 10, 17, 24, 30, May 7 Jharkhand - April 10, 17, 24 Karnataka: April 17 Kerala: April 10 Madhya Pradesh: April 10, 17, 24 Maharashtra: April 10, 17, 24 Manipur: April 9, 17 Meghalaya: April 9 Mizoram: April 9 Nagaland: April 9 Odisha: April 10, 17 Punjab: April 30 Rajasthan: April 17, 24 Sikkim: April 12 Tamil Nadu: April 24 Tripura: April 7, 12 Uttar Pradesh: April 10, 17, 24, 30, May 7, 12 Uttarakhand: May 7 West Bengal: April 17, 24, 30, May 7, 12 Andaman and Nicobar Islands: April 10 Chandigarh: April 10 Dadra and Nagar Haveli: April 30 Daman and Diu: April 30 Lakshadweep: April 10 NCT/Delhi: April 10 Puducherry: April 24