The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday (March 16) initiated the electoral process for the 18th Lok Sabha by unveiling details about the phases of polling. Read on to know the schedule for the second phase of polling.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar announced the election schedule at a press conference in the national capital. The polling will take place in seven phases.
Schedule For Lok Sabha Phase 2:
The polling will be conducted on April 26, with vote counting scheduled for June 4. The Polling will be held on 89 seats in this phase.
Check the full list here:
- Kerala (20): Kasaragod, Kannur, Vadakara, Wayanad, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Ponnani, Palakkad, Alathur, Thrissur, Chalakudy, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Mavelikkara, Pathanamthitta, Kollam, Attingal and Thiruvananthapuram
- Karnataka (14): Bangalore Central, Bangalore North, Bangalore Rural, Bangalore South, Chamarajanagar, Chikkballapur, Chitradurga, Dakshina Kannada, Hassan, Kolar,, Mandya, Mysore, Tumkur, Udupi Chikmagalur
- Rajasthan (13): Ganganagar, Bikaner, Churu, Jhunjhunu, Sikar, Jaipur Rural, Jaipur, Alwar, Bharatpur, Karauli-Dholpur, Dausa, Nagaur
- Maharashtra (08): Buldhana, Akola, Amravati, Wardha, Yavatmal - Washim, Hingoli, Nanded, Parbhani
- Uttar Pradesh (08): Amroha, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Mathura
- Madhya Pradesh (07): Tikamgarh, Damoh, Khajuraho, Satna, Rewa, Hoshangabad, Betul
- Assam (05): Darrang-Udalguri, Diphu, Karimganj, Silchar, Nagaon
- Bihar (05): Kishanganj, Katihar, Purnia, Bhagalpur, Banka
- Chhattisgarh (03): Rajnandgaon, Mahasamund, Kanker
- West Bengal (03): Darjeeling, Raiganj, Balurghat
- Jammu and Kashmir (01): Udhampur
- Manipur (01): Outer Manipur
- Tripura (01): Tripura East
Simultaneously, the ECI revealed that dates for four Assembly elections, slated to coincide with the Lok Sabha polls, will also be disclosed.
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The enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) will coincide with the announcement of polling dates, adhering to the electoral protocol. The preceding general election in 2019 spanned over seven phases from April 11 to May 19, with results declared four days later.
States expected to vote during April/May include Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Sikkim, while Maharashtra, Haryana, and Jharkhand are scheduled for later this year. Furthermore, in compliance with a Supreme Court directive, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh will participate in Assembly polls by September 30, marking the initial step towards reinstating statehood.
In an unprecedented move, the election commission has provided a 24-hour notice for the press conference, where voting dates, polling phases, and security arrangements, particularly in regions susceptible to post-poll violence or insurgent activities, were disclosed.
The ruling party in West Bengal, Trinamool Congress, has already advocated for a single-phase election in the state, urging central security forces to refrain from influencing voters.
2019 Lok Sabha Poll Phase 2
During the 2019 Lok Sabha Poll Phase 2, India participated in the electoral process on April 18, 2019.
A total of 95 Lok Sabha seats went to polls in this phase across 11 states and one Union territory. Besides the Lok Sabha election, voting also occurred for the second phase of assembly elections in Odisha, as well as in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Andhra Pradesh, where assembly elections coincided with the Lok Sabha polls.