Parliamentary Polls in India from April 11; Elections in Punjab on May 19

:dateline:The Election Commission of India has today announced the final dates for the upcoming parliamentary elections. With this announcement, the Model Code of Conduct has come into effect all the states of India from today.

Interacting with media, the Chief Election Commissioner of India Mr. Sunil Arora informed that these parliamentary elections will be completed in seven phases beginning from April 11 and concluding on May 19. �The elections will be held for 543 seats on nearly 1 million polling booths across the country, while the counting of votes will take place on May 23,� he added.

Mr. Sunil Arora further informed that 0.9 billion voters will vote in these elections of which 15 million are in the age of 18 and 19. �Assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal, Odisha and Sikkim will also be held simultaneously,� he said while adding that the election 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 these polls.

Single-phase poll will be held in 22 states and UTs, including Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, HP, Kerala, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Andaman & Nicobar, Puducherry and Chandigarh.

However, in Bihar, UP and West Bengal the polling will be held in seven phases while there will be five phases in Jammu & Kashmir.

The date of polling for the seven phases are April 11, 18, 23, 29, May 6, 12, 19. In the first phase, 91 seats across 20 states and UTs will go to polls; Second phase: 97 in 13 States and UTs; Third phase: 115 in 14 States and UTs; Fourth phase – 71 in 9 States and UTs; Fifth phase: 51 in 7 States and UTs; Sixth phase 59 in 7 States and UTs; Seventh phase: 59 in 8 States and UTs.