Lok Sabha Election 2019 Schedule: 7-Phase Polls To Begin On April 11, Counting On May 23
Catch live updates from Election Commission’s press conference announcing dates for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
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Lok Sabha elections will begin on April 11 and polling would be held over seven phases through May 19, followed by counting of all votes on May 23, the Election Commission announced on Sunday.
The voter verifiable paper audit trail will be used in all polling stations this time.
Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said the model code of conduct would come into immediate effect from Sunday and 10 lakh polling stations would be set up this time as against about nine lakh in 2014. Nearly 90 crore voters would be eligible to vote for 543 Lok Sabha constituencies across the country.
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Simultaneous Assembly Elections In 4 States
The Election Commission will hold assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim concurrently with parliamentary elections.
34 by-polls will follow the same schedule as parliamentary elections.
Only Lok Sabha Polls In Jammu & Kashmir
The Election Commission considered prevailing security situation in Jammu & Kashmir and decided to conduct only parliamentary polls in the state as yet, said Arora.
Polling in the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat will be held in three phases due to security reasons, the Chief Election Commissioner added.
Phase 7: May 19
(59 constituencies in 8 states)
- Bihar: 8 seats
- Jharkhand: 3 seats
- MP: 8 seats
- Punjab: 13 seats
- WB: 9 seats
- UP: 13 seats
- HP: 4 seats
- Chandigarh: 1 seat
Phase 6: May 12
(59 constituencies in 7 states)
- Bihar: 8 seats
- Haryana: 10 seats
- Jharkhand: 4 seats
- MP: 8 seats
- UP: 14 seats
- WB: 8 seats
- NCR: 7 seats
Phase 5: May 6
(51 constituencies in 7 states)
- Bihar: 5 seats
- J&K 2 seats
- Jharkhand: 4 seats
- MP: 7 seats
- Rajasthan: 12 seats
- UP: 14 seats
- WB: 7
Phase 4: April 29
(71 constituencies in 9 states)
- Bihar: 5 seats
- J&K: 1 seat
- Jharkhand: 3 seats
- Madhya Pradesh: 6 seats
- Maharashtra: 17 seats
- Odisha: 6 seats
- Rajasthan: 13 seats
- UP: 13 seats
- WB: 8 seats
Phase 3: April 23
(115 constituencies in 14 states)
- Assam: 4 seats
- Bihar: 5 seats
- Chhattisgarh: 7 seats (Single phase)
- Gujarat: 26 seats (Single phase)
- Goa: 2 seats (Single phase)
- J&K: 1 seat
- Karnataka: 14 seats
- Kerala: 20 seats (Single phase)
- Maharashtra: 14 seats
- Odisha: 6 seats
- UP: 10 seats
- WB: 5 seats
- Dadara & Nagar Haveli: 1 seat (Single phase)
- Daman & Diu: 1 seat (Single phase)
Phase 2: April 18
(97 constituencies, 13 states)
- Assam: 5 seats
- Bihar: 5 seats
- Chattisgarh: 3 seats
- J&K: 2 seats
- Karnataka: 14 seats
- Maharashtra: 10 seats
- Manipur: 1 seat
- Odisha: 5
- Tamil Nadu: 39 seats (Single phase)
- Tripura: 1
- UP: 8 seats
- WB: 3 seats
- Puducherry: 1 seat
Phase 1: April 11
(91 constituencies, 20 states)
- Andhra Pradesh: 25 seats (Single phase)
- Arunachal: 2 seats (Single phase)
- Assam: 5 seats
- Bihar: 4 seats
- Chhattisgarh: 1 seat
- Jammu & Kashmir: 2 seats
- Maharashtra: 7 seats
- Manipur: 1 seat
- Meghalaya: 2 seats (Single phase)
- Mizoram: 1 seat (Single phase)
- Nagaland: 1 seat (Single phase)
- Odisha: 4 seats
- Sikkim: 1 seat (Single phase)
- Telangana: 17 seats (Single phase)
- Tripura: 1 seat
- Uttar Pradesh: 8 seats
- Uttarakhand: 5 seats (Single phase)
- West Bengal: 2 seats
- Andaman & Nicobar: 1 seat
- Lakshadweep: 1 seat (Single phase)
Lok Sabha Elections In Seven Phases
Lok Sabha election 2019 will be held in seven phases. The votes will be counted on May 23.
- Phase 1: April 11
- Phase 2: April 18
- Phase 3: April 23
- Phase 4: April 29
- Phase 5: May 6
- Phase 6: May 12
- Phase 7: May 19
States That Will Witness Polls In A Single Phase
- Andhra Pradesh
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Goa
- Gujarat
- Haryana
- Himachal Pradesh
- Kerala
- Meghalaya
- Mizoram
- Nagaland
- Punjab
- Sikkim
- Telangana
- Tamil Nadu
- Uttarakhand
- Andaman and Nicobar
- Dadra and Nagar Haveli
- Daman and Diu
- Lakshadweep
- National Capital Territory, New Delhi
- Puducherry
- Chandigarh
States That Will Go To Polls In Multiple Phases
- Bihar, UP, West Bengal: 7 phases
- J&K: 5 phases
- Jharkhand, MP, Maharashtra, Odisha: 4 phases
- Assam, Chhattisgarh: 3 phases
- Karnataka, Manipur, Rajasthan, Tripura: 2 phases
New Efforts To Enable Citizen Vigilance
The Chief Election Commission announced new measures to enable citizens' vigilance of the election process, including:
- EC android app will help citizens file complaints regarding poll irregularities
- In recent state elections, 28,000 complaints were received
- Citizens can also complain anonymously
Election Commission Outlines Campaigning Rules
Elaborate arrangements have been made for the peaceful conduct of the elections, said Arora.
- No loudspeakers will be allowed for campaigning from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
- No loudspeakers will be allowed 48 hours before the date of election near polling areas.
- EC requests candidates to desist from using polluting materials during campaigning
Model Code Of Conduct Kicks In
The model code of conduct guidelines will come into effect immediately, said Arora.
Any violation will be dealt in the strictest manner.Sunil Arora, Chief Election Commissioner
All EVMs Will Have Pictures Of Candidates
Electronic voting machines will have pictures of the candidates to make it easier for voters to identify the candidate they wish to vote for, said Chief Election Commissioner Arora.
Voter-verified paper audit trail will be used in all polling stations, added Arora.
About 900 Million People Eligible To Vote: Chief Election Commissioner
The Election Commission started preparing for elections for quite some time, to ensure that the elections were concluded before the end of the the 16th Lok Sabha’s term in June, said Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora.
Here are the highlights from Arora's comments:
- Have held meetings with electoral officers across the country
- Held several rounds of discussions with Home Ministry
- Visited several states and union territories to check preparedness for elections
The purity of election rolls is the foundation of free and fair elections.Sunil Arora, Chief Election Commissioner
- Total electorate will be around 900 million compared with 814.5 million in 2014
Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Seven To Eight Phases?
There is a high probability of the elections being spread across seven to eight phases this time.
In 2014, the EC had announced the election schedule on March 5, and the nine-phase electoral exercise was spread across April and May.
While the first phase of polling was on April 7, the last phase was on May 12.
Past Lok Sabha Elections
- In 2004, the Election Commission announced four-phase Lok Sabha polls on Feb. 29. While the first date of polling was April 20 and the last date was May 10.
- In 2009, the Election Commission announced Lok Sabha poll schedule on March 2. The five-phase polls began on April 16 and ended on May 13.
- In 2014, the Election Commission had announced the election schedule on March 5 and the nine-phase electoral exercise was spread across April and May.
Source: PTI
Jammu & Kashmir Assembly Election Uncertainty
Since the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly has been dissolved, the EC is bound to hold fresh polls there as well within a six-month period, which will end in May.
While there is a view that the J&K assembly elections can be held along with the Lok Sabha polls, a lot depends on the security situation in the state given the heightened tension along the India-Pakistan border.
The Centre and the state administration, being managed by the Centre-appointed Governor, are against holding the two elections together.
However, all political parties in the state favoured simultaneous polls during a meeting with the poll panel earlier this week.
The J&K Assembly's six-year term was to end on March 16, 2021, but it got dissolved after a ruling coalition between the People's Democratic Party and the BJP fell apart.
The other state assemblies and the Lok Sabha have five-year terms.
(Source: PTI)
Assembly Elections Schedule
The notification for the first phase could be issued by the end of March, for voting sometime in early April, sources suggested.
There is a strong possibility that the EC may go by the precedent and hold assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh along with the Lok Sabha polls.
Source: PTI
Election Commission To Announce Dates For 2019 Lok Sabha Election
The Election Commission is set to announce on Sunday schedule for the Lok Sabha elections, which is likely to be spread over seven to eight phases in April-May.
The poll panel will hold a press conference at 5 p.m. at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi.
The term of the present Lok Sabha ends on June 3.
As soon as the elections, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will make his bid to return to power amid hectic parleys by several political parties to put a united fight against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, are announced, the model code of conduct will come into force.
Amongst other things, the code bars the government from announcing policy decisions.