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Lok Sabha polls 2019-Schedule, Key highlights announced

KS Diwan/ royalpatiala.in/ Chandigarh

Announcing a seven phase Lok Sabha poll schedule, Chief Election Commissioner  Sunil Arora announced the dates at a press conference at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi. He said the code was vital to ensure a level playing field among various contenders for power. Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said the ECI aims to hold free and fair elections in which 900 million registered voters will participate in the election process.

With the announcement of the April-May Lok Sabha election schedule, the model code of conduct has come into effect on Sunday, the Election Commission has announced.

The last date for nomination for first phase is March 25. Counting of votes will take place on May 23.”

States to vote in first 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, New Delhi, Pondicherry and Chandigarh will go for a single phase,” Arora said.

States to vote in second phase

The states are Karnataka, Manipur, Rajasthan and Tripura, the CEC said.

States to vote in third and fourth phases

While polling in Assam and Chhattisgarh will be held in the third phase, elections in Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha will be held in the fourth phase.

States to vote in fifth phase

Polling will only be held in Jammu and Kashmir in the fifth phase.

Six phases:

No state

Seven phase:

Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal

No simultaneous polls in J&K. J&K (Assembly) will NOT go to poll with Lok Sabha elections. EC cites security grounds for decision.

Assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal, Odisha and Sikkim will be held with Lok Sabha polls, the poll panel head announced.

Highlights of 2019 elections

“91 constituencies will go for polls in the first phase of polls, 97 constituencies in the second phase. A total of 115 constituencies will go for polls in the third phase, 71 in the fourth phase, 51 in the fifth phase, 59 in the sixth and 59 in the seventh phase,” Arora said.

Voter-verifiable paper audit trails (VVPATs) will be used along with electronic voting machines (EVMs) in all the booths. A total of 17.4 lakh VVPAT units will be used at all polling stations in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, said Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora.

Any violation will be dealt with in the strictest manner.

Candidates will have to submit records of social media campaigning.

The movement of EVMs will be tracked using GPS system.

Photo voter slips cannot be used as standalone proof of identity at the time of casting vote.

Approximately, 10 lakh polling stations will be set up this time as opposed to the nine lakh polling stations that were set up in 2014

Adequate deployment of security forces has been arranged.

As a “major tool of empowerment”, the Election Commission has decided to protect the identity of those who wish to lodge complaints of malpractices across booths. “We will publish the measures/actions taken against the accused in local newspapers for the complainant instead. Any citizen can report Model Code of Conduct violations on EC’s C-VIGIL app. In the last five Assembly polls, 28,000 such complaints were received,” Arora said.

The use of loudspeakers won’t be allowed 48 hours prior to polling for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. During campaigning, candidates won’t be allowed to use loudspeakers between 10 pm to 6 am.

State-wise poll details

Two phases: Karnataka, Manipur, Rajasthan, Tripura

Three phases: Assam, Chhattisgarh

Four phases: Jharkhand, MP, Maharashtra Odisha

Five phases: J&K

Six phases: No state

Seven phases: Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal

Polling for 2019 Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases. The results will be declared on May 23.

It is the second  time that the country witnesses elections over such a long period. Last Lok Sabha elections were held in nine phases