State Elections Start On February 4, Results To Be Announced On March 11

Elections in five states including Uttar Pradesh will begin on February 4, just three days after the Narendra Modi government presents the Union Budget 2017.

Polling will be held in multiple phases till March 8, and the results will be announced on March 11, Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said in a press conference. This will be the first assembly elections since the government’s November 8 decision to delegitimise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.

Candidates will have to open fresh bank accounts for all election expenses, said the chief election commissioner. Expenses above Rs 20,000 will be made through check whereas all donations will have to be made through cheques. Candidates in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Uttarakhand can spend up to Rs 28 lakh, while candidates in Goa and Manipur can spend up to Rs 20 lakh.

Here are the details of the polling dates:

Uttar Pradesh

Voting will be held in seven phases in the battle ground for Bahujan Samaj Party and Bharatiya Janata Party.

Phase 1

• Date of notification: January 17 , 2017
• Last date for nomination: January 24, 2017
• Scrutiny of nominations: January 25, 2017
• Withdrawal of candidature: January 27, 2017
• Voting date: February 11, 2017

Phase 2

• Date of notification: January 20 , 2017
• Last date for nomination: January 27, 2017
• Scrutiny of nominations: January 28, 2017
• Withdrawal of candidature: January 30, 2017
• Voting date: February 15, 2017

Phase 3

• Date of notification: January 24 , 2017
• Last date for nomination: January 31, 2017
• Scrutiny of nominations: February 2, 2017
• Withdrawal of candidature: February 4, 2017
• Voting date: February 19, 2017

Phase 4

• Date of notification: January 30 , 2017
• Last date for nomination: February 6, 2017
• Scrutiny of nominations: February 7, 2017
• Withdrawal of candidature: February 9, 2017
• Voting date: February 23, 2017

Phase 5

• Date of notification: February 2 , 2017
• Last date for nomination: February 9, 2017
• Scrutiny of nominations: February 11, 2017
• Withdrawal of candidature: February 13, 2017
• Voting date: February 27, 2017

Phase 6

• Date of notification: February 8 , 2017
• Last date for nomination: February 15, 2017
• Scrutiny of nominations: February 16, 2017
• Withdrawal of candidature: February 18, 2017
• Voting date: March 4, 2017

Phase 7

• Date of notification: February 11 , 2017
• Last date for nomination: February 18, 2017
• Scrutiny of nominations: February 20, 2017
• Withdrawal of candidature: February 22, 2017
• Voting date: March 8, 2017

Punjab

The Akali Dal led state will vote in a single phase.

• Date of notification: January 11 , 2017
• Last date for nomination: January 18, 2017
• Scrutiny of nominations: January 19, 2017
• Withdrawal of candidature: January 20, 2017
• Voting date: February 4, 2017

Uttarakhand

The northern state of Uttarakhand will vote in a single phase.

• Date of notification: January 20 , 2017
• Last date for nomination: January 27, 2017
• Scrutiny of nominations: January 28, 2017
• Withdrawal of candidature: January 30, 2017
• Voting date: February 15, 2017

Goa

Currently governed by Bharatiya Janata Party, Goa will also go to the polling stations in a single phase.

• Date of notification: January 11 , 2017
• Last date for nomination: January 18, 2017
• Scrutiny of nominations: January 19, 2017
• Withdrawal of candidature: January 20, 2017
• Voting date: February 4, 2017

Manipur

Elections in the north-eastern state will be held in two phases.

Phase 1

• Date of notification: February 8 , 2017
• Last date for nomination: February 15, 2017
• Date for nomination scrutiny: February 16, 2017
• Withdrawal of candidature: February 18, 2017
• Voting date: March 4, 2017

Phase 2

• Date of notification: February 11 , 2017
• Last date for nomination: February 18, 2017
• Date for nomination scrutiny: February 20, 2017
• Withdrawal of candidature: February 22, 2017
• Voting date: March 8, 2017

Union Budget Timing

The polling will start just days after the Union Budget, which is scheduled to be presented on February 1. The Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said that the commission had received representations on the timing of the Budget, and that a decision will be taken in due course.

Opposition parties, including the Congress, wrote to President Pranab Mukherjee and to the Chief Election Commissioner claiming that the move to advance the Budget is an attempt to influence the assembly elections, according to a report in the Indian Express.

The 2012 Union Budget was postponed to March 16, to avoid a clash with the state elections.

With inputs from PTI.