Elections 2019: Lok Sabha Polls From April 11 in 7 Phases, Counting on May 23

New Delhi: The poll bugle for the 17th Lok Sabha elections was sounded on Sunday with the Election Commission (EC) declaring May 23 as the counting date for Parliamentary and 5 Assembly polls, as well as bypolls in some states. However, the EC said Assembly elections will not be held in Jammu & Kashmir, even as Parliamentary polls will be held, adding that a three-member expert central observer panel had been formed to monitor the ground situation.

Announcing the election schedule here, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said that with the announcement of the dates, the model code of conduct comes into immediate effect. He said the elections for the 17th Lok Sabha will be held in seven phases, with about 90 crore people exercising their franchise, out of which 1.5 crore are aged between 18-19 years old.

Overall, around 10 lakh polling stations will be set up across the country, one lakh less than in the last general elections held in 2014.

“All polling booths will have VVPATS,” said Arora, though he did not make any commitment on counting of VVPATS, which was demanding by some political parties, adding that the Indian Statistical Institute was looking into the matter and is expected to submit its report soon, after which the EC would take a decision after due deliberations.

To enable voters to check their names on electoral rolls, the EC also announced a toll-free number  -- 1950.

Seven Phase Poll

The three states that will be seeing voting in all seven phases are Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

April 11: Andhra (25), Arunachal (2), Assam (5), Bihar (4), Chhattisgarh (1), J&K (2), Maharashtra (7), Manipur (1), Meghalaya (2), Mizoram (1), Nagaland (1), Odisha (4), Sikkim (1), Telangana (17), Tripura (1), UP (8), Uttarakhand (5), West Bengal (2), Andaman (1), Lakshadweep (1); Total (91)

April 18: Assam (5), Bihar (5), Chhattisgarh (3), J&K (2), Karnataka (14), Maharashtra (10), Manipur (1), Odisha (5), Tamil Nadu (39), Tripura (1), UP (8), West Bengal (3), Puducherry (1); Total: 97

April 23: Assam (4), Bihar (5), Chhattisgarh (7), Gujarat (7), Goa (2), J&K (1), Karnataka (14), Kerala (20), Maharashtra (14), Odisha (6), UP (10), West Bengal (5), Dadra and Nagar Haveli (1), Daman and Diu (1); Total: 115

April 29: Bihar (5), J&K (1), Jharkhand (3), MP (6), Maharashtra (17), Odisha (6), Rajasthan (14), UP (13), West Bengal (8); Total: 71

May 6: Bihar (5), J&K (2), Jharkhand (4), MP (7), Rajasthan (12), UP (14), West Bengal (7); Total: 71

May 12: Bihar (8), Haryana (10), Jharkhand (4), MP (8), UP (14), West Bengal (8), Delhi-NCR (7); Total: 59

May 19 : Bihar (8), Jharkhand (3), MP (8), Punjab (13), West Bengal (9), Chandigarh (1), UP (13), Himachal (4); Total: 59