Notification for LS polls issued

New Delhi, Mar 23 (PTI) The notification kickstarting
the formal process for the five-phased elections to Lok Sabha
(Lower House of Indian Parliament) beginning on April 16 was
issued Monday.

Indian President Pratibha Patil issued the
notification for the first phase covering 124 seats spread
over 17 States and Union Territories.

Notifications were also issued by respective Governors
for 154 of the 294 assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh and 70 of
the 147 assembly seats in Orissa, going to polls along with
the Lok Sabha elections in the first phase.

With the issuance of notification, the filing of
nominations by candidates would begin in the massive
electoral exercise in which over 714 million voters would be
eligible to exercise their franchise to elect a new 543-member
House which is required to be constituted before June two.

The Lok Sabha polls would be held in five phases on
April 16, 23, 30 and May seven and 13. Counting of votes would
take place on May 16.

Nominations for the constituencies going to polls in
the first phase will close on March 30 and withdrawal of
candidatures would be on April 2 which would draw the battle
lines.

While Jammu and Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh would have
five phased elections, Bihar will see elections in four
phases. Maharashtra and West Bengal will have elections in
three phases. Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Jharkhand, Karnataka,
Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Orissa and Punjab will witness two
phased elections. The remaining 15 States and seven Union
Territories will have a single phase polling.

Notification for the second phase of elections for 141
seats would be issued on March 28, for third phase for 107
seats on April 2, for fourth phase for 85 seats on April 11
and for the fifth phase for 86 seats on April 17.

Nearly 2,500 observers would closely monitor the polls
across the country for which 40 lakh civilian officials and 21
lakh security personnel would be deployed.