Indian Lok Sabha elections from April 16 to May 13

The general elections to the 15th Lok Sabha will be held in five phases, on April 16, 23 and 30, and May 7 and 13. A total of 714 million voters — an increase of 43 million over the 2004 elections — will elect 543 members. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) N. Gopalaswami, along with Election Commissioners Navin Chawla and S.Y. Quraishi, told a press conference here on Monday that counting of votes was scheduled for May 16 and the results would be announced the same day. The entire poll process would be completed by May 28. With the announcement of the poll dates, the model code of conduct comes into force with immediate effect. The delimitation process, undertaken in all States except Jammu and Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Jharkhand, Manipur and Nagaland, has resulted in 499 constituencies being redrawn. For the first time, photo electoral rolls will be used in 522 out of the 543 constituencies. The Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Sikkim will be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha poll. Polling will be held in 124 Lok Sabha constituencies on April 16; in 141 constituencies (including one in Manipur which will go to the polls on April 22) on April 23; in 107 constituencies on April 30; in 85 constituencies on May 7 and in 86 constituencies on May 13. While Jammu and Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh will have a five-day polling, it will be a four-day event in Bihar and a three-day exercise in Maharashtra and West Bengal. The election will be a two-day affair in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Orissa and Punjab. The remaining 15 States and seven Union Territories will witness a one-day poll. Phase I notification The notification for the first phase will be issued on March 23. The polling in Kerala is on April 16; in Andhra Pradesh it will be on April 16 and 23; in Karnataka on April 23 and 30. Tamil Nadu will go to the polls on May 13. The CEC said the Commission would put in place about 11 lakh electronic voting machines for the electoral exercise in 8.28 lakh polling stations. Around 40 lakh civil staff members and 21 lakh security personnel would be deployed. Mr. Gopalaswami said: “The possible cross-border influences that could affect the peaceful conduct of elections in the constituencies located on either side of inter-State boundaries have been mapped and this aspect has also been factored in, to the extent possible, while deciding on the phasing and sequencing options.” The model code “will be applicable to all political parties and to the Union and State and Union Territory governments.” He called upon them and candidates to strictly adhere to it. It was mandatory for all candidates to file, along with their nominations, two affidavits with information on their criminal antecedents, if any; assets (including the movable and immovable properties of the candidate, spouse and dependents), their liabilities and educational qualifications. Non-filing of the affidavits would result in the rejection of the nominations by the Returning Officer. Mr. Gopalaswami said registration of new parties would remain suspended till the completion of the election process.