NEW DELHI : With the Election Commission of India (ECI) issuing a notification for the first phase of polling for the Lok Sabha elections, the nomination process for 102 parliamentary constituencies spread across 21 states and Union territories began on Wednesday. These constituencies are set to vote on April 19. According to the notification, the final date for filing nomination papers is March 27. However, due to a festival, the deadline for filing nominations for the Lok Sabha seats in Bihar participating in the first phase has been extended to March 28. In Bihar, electorates in four out of 40 Parliamentary constituencies will vote in the first phase.
Nomination papers will be scrutinized on March 29, with a specific date of March 30 set for Bihar. The deadline for the withdrawal of candidature is March 31, and for Bihar, it is April 2.
The elections for the 18th Lok Sabha are scheduled to start on April 19, with subsequent phases to follow on April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1. The counting of votes will take place on June 4.
In addition to Bihar, other states where polling will be held in the first phase include Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry.