Setting the stage for a political battle spread across two months, the Election Commission of India on Saturday (March 16) announced that the 18th Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases, between April 19 and June 1, involving nearly 97 crore voters.
The results will be declared on June 4, twelve days before the term of the current House expires on June 16.
Lok Sabha Elections To Be Held In 7 Phases
For the Lok Sabha polls, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar will have the longest voting schedule across seven phases. Maharashtra and Jammu & Kashmir follow this in five phases; Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha in four phases; Assam and Chhattisgarh in three phases; and, Karnataka, Manipur, Rajasthan and Tripura in two phases. The remaining states and Union Territories will go to polls on a single day.
Assembly Elections Of These States Will Held Simultaneously
Assembly elections for Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim will also be held simultaneously. Voting for Andhra Pradesh’s 175 assembly seats will be held on May 13. Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim are scheduled to go to the polls on April 19. Elections in Odisha will be held across four phases between May 13 and June 1. The results of all the four state elections will be declared on June 4, the day when the results of the Lok Sabha polls will also be declared.
How Many People Will Vote In Elections
As many as 49.7 crore are male voters, 47.1 crore are female, 1.8 crore first-time voters, 19.74 crore young voters, 82 lakh voters above the age of 85, 88.4 lakh persons with disabilities (PwDs), 19.1 lakh service electors, 48,000 transgender persons and 2.18 lakh centenarians.
CEC Rajiv Kumar further said the Election Commission has taken all measures to keep the polls corruption-free by keeping a check on four main factors – muscle power, money power, misinformation and violation of model code of conduct. He asserted that the election panel has launched a ruthless fight against poll violence.