New Delhi: The Lok Sabha polls will be held in 7 phases. The dates are April 11, April 18, April 23, April 29, May 6, May 12 and May 19.
Elections to the Odisha Assembly will be held in 4 phases. The dates are April 11, April 18, April 23 and April 29.
The counting of votes will be held on May 23.
The election schedules were announced by the full commission led by Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora.
The number of voters who would be eligible to exercise their franchise is approximately 90 crore. This would be an increase of 8.4 crore voters over the last general elections of 2014.
The first time voters in the 18-19 age group elegible to cast their votes will be 1.5 crore or 1.66 per cent of the total voters.
there are approximately 10,35,928 Polling Stations in the country, as compared to approximately 9,28,000 Polling Stations set up during Lok Sabha election, 2014.
The Commission has made elaborate arrangements for ensuring the effective implementation of the model code of conduct guidelines. Any violations of these Guidelines would be strictly dealt with, Arora said.
The Commission has directed that the use of public address system or loudspeakers during the entire election period starting from the date of announcement of the election and ending with the date of declaration of results, shall not be permitted at night between 10.00 p.m. and 6.00 a.m.
Candidates and political parties shall include all expenditure on campaigning, including expenditure on advertisement on social media in their election expenditure account. This among other things shall include payments made to internet companies and websites for carrying advertisements and also campaign related operational expenditure on making creative development of content, salaries and wages paid to the team of workers employed to maintain their social media account.
All the election management related news would be monitored vigorously on all the major national and regional news channels during elections. If any untoward incident or violation of any law/rule is noticed, action would be taken immediately, the commission said.
