The Election Commission of India released a notification on Wednesday detailing the schedule for the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections, set to take place on April 19.
According to the notification, the last date for filing nominations is March 28 for Bihar and March 27 for Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry.
“March 30 has been designated as the date for scrutiny of nominations for Bihar and March 28 for the other states,” stated the notification.
Furthermore, April 2 is the deadline for withdrawal of candidatures for Bihar and March 30 for Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry.
“The election must be completed in all the aforementioned parliamentary constituencies by June 6,” the notification added.
This phase of the elections will cover 102 Lok Sabha seats across 17 states and four union territories.
Key states with significant seat allocations in this phase include Tamil Nadu (39 seats), Rajasthan (12 seats), Uttar Pradesh (8 seats), and Madhya Pradesh (6 seats).
Additionally, five seats each in Uttarakhand, Assam, and Maharashtra, four seats in Bihar, three seats in West Bengal, two seats in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, and one seat in Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry will also undergo polling on April 19.
The Election Commission had previously announced the schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on March 16.
The electoral process will unfold in seven phases across the nation from April 19 to June 1, with vote counting scheduled for June 4.
