7-phase LS polls to be held from April 11 to May 19, results May 23
With the announcement of the poll schedule, the model code of conduct came into immediate effect.
New Delhi: Lok Sabha elections for 2019 will be held from April 11 to May 19 and after the seven-phase exercise across 543 parliamentary constituencies the results will be declared on May 23, the Election Commission announced on Sunday, kick-starting the countdown for a mega electoral battle wherein the BJP will pitch for a re-election of the Narendra Modi government amid the Opposition’s efforts for a united fight to unseat it.
Voting for electing the 17th Lok Sabha will be held on April 11, April 18, April 23, April 29, May 6, May 12 and May 19 in which nearly 90 crore voters, including 1.8 crore first-time electorate aged between 18 and 19 years, are expected to take part, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said at a packed press conference here. With the announcement of the poll schedule, the model code of conduct came into immediate effect.
The CEC said that along with the parliamentary polls, Assembly elections will also be held in four states — Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Odisha. Contrary to expectations, no elections will be held in Jammu and Kashmir, which has been without an elected government since June last year when the BJP pulled out of its alliance with the PDP.
Flanked by two election commissioners, Ashok Lavasa and Sushil Chandra, Mr Arora said, “While finalising the election dates, exam schedules of state examination boards, CBSE, various festivals and harvest season are also adequately factored in.”
The CEC said that voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) will be used in all 10 lakh polling stations this time.
Soon after the announcement of election dates, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “Best wishes to the Election Commission, all those officials and security personnel who will be on the field, across the length and breadth of India assuring smooth elections. India is very proud of the EC for assiduously organising elections for several years”
Voting for the first phase will be held on April 11 across 20 states covering 91 seats. Second phase polling will be held on April 18 covering 13 states and 97 seats, while the third phase of polling will take place on April 23 on 115 seats covering 14 states. The fourth phase will be held on April 29 covering nine states and 71 seats, while the fifth phase voting will be conducted on May 6 across seven states covering 51 seats. The penultimate sixth phase of polling will be conducted on May 12 in 59 seats spreading across seven states, while the last and seventh phase of voting will also be held in 59 seats across eight states on May 19.
The national capital territory of Delhi will go to polls during the sixth phase on May 12.
Polls will be held in a single phase in 20 states and Union Territories, including Andhra Prad-esh, Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Hima-chal Pradesh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Telan-gana, Sikkim, Tamilnadu and Uttarakhand, Andaman & Nicobar, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli.
Rajasthan, Karnataka, Manipur and Tripura will have polls in two phases.
The decision of the Election Commission (EC) looks surprising as there are only two seats each in Tripura and Manipur.
Assam and Chhattisgarh will have polling in three phases, while four states which have been and still continue to be affected by Naxal violence namely Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra will have four-phased polling.
Jammu & Kashmir will have a five-phase polling process, while the politically crucial states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal will have seven-phase polling.
While the NDA hopes to make history by coming back to power for a consecutive second full term, the Opposition wants to unseat the Narendra Modi-led government by raising questions on its performance on a host of issues, including economic growth, employment, corruption and social harmony.
Atal Behari Vajpayee had led the NDA to back-to-back wins in 1998 and 1999 general elections but he was at the helm for only one full term.
In 2014, the Lok Sabha elections were held across nine phases beginning April 7 and ending May 9. Votes were counted on May 16.
The total contestants in fray were 8,251, with an average of 15 candidates in each constituency, though deposits got forfeited for 7,000 contestants.
A total of over 55 crore voters (66.3 per cent) exercised their vote, while there were nearly 60 lakh NOTA votes. A total of 668 women candidates contested, out of which 62 won.