Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora in a press conference on Sunday at Delhi's Vigyan Bhavan has announced the dates for the high-voltage Lok Sabha elections. The general elections 2019 will be spread across seven phases this time.
The model code of conduct has been enforced from today itself and anyone found violating it will be dealt with strictly, CEC Sunil Arora told media persons.
Assembly elections for Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Odisha, will be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls. The dates were not announced.
Citing the recent violent incidents in Jammu and Kashmir, the election commission has decided to not conduct any elections in the state.
Here is a ten-point guide on the Election Commission's press conference today.
Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora announced that all digital content posted by political parties and their candidates will fall under the purview of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). HERE IS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW:
Anantnag Lok Sabha seat in Jammu and Kashmir to go for polling in three phases due to security reasons: EC.
A social media (SM) expert is also going to be part of Media Certification and Monitoring Committee; all candidates are required to furnish details of social media accounts; all expenditure on SM campaigning to be part of election expenditure account: Sunil Arora
Assembly elections will be held simultaneously in Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Odisha
Two phases: Karnataka, Manipur, Rajasthan, Tripura
Three phases: Assam, Chhattisgarh
Four phases: Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha
Five phases: Jammu and Kashmir
Seven phases: Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal
Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Sikkim, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Andaman and Nicobar, Dadar and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep, New Delhi, Pondicherry and Chandigarh will go for a single phase.
Single phase election in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana.
A seven-phase election schedule has been declared.
All candidates must give their social media details, says CEC Sunil Arora in his briefing.
Voter-verifiable paper audit trails will be used along with electronic voting machines in all the booths. A total of 17.4 lakh VVPAT units will be used, said Sunil Arora
There will be approximately 10 lakh polling stations in this Lok Sabha Elections as compared to 9 lakh polling stations in 2014: Chief Election Commissioner
90 crore people will vote this year; the number of total voters has gone up from 81 crore to 90 crore. 1.5 crore new voters registered in the age group of 18 to 19: CEC Sunil Arora
1950 is the helpline number for all voting-related queries.
90 crore voters this year and 8.4 crore new voters: CEC
1.5 crore new voters registered in the age group of 18 to 19. Also, there are 90 crore voters this year and 8.4 crore new voters: CEC Sunil Arora
Chief Election Commissioner of India Sunil Arora details the steps taken to prepare for the polls: He says, "We had a discussion with the chief ministers of states and all the Union Territories. We also held talks with several key departments to ensure smooth conduction of polls."
https://www.pscp.tv/w/1YqxoryApvAJv
Election Commission has asked all political parties and their candidates to avoid displaying photographs of defence personnel on posters used during pre-poll campaigning and for propaganda purposes. READ HERE
On Sunday, BJD supremo and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced that he would keep his promise of 33 per cent reservation for women in the allocation of Lok Sabha seats, in the upcoming polls. READ HERE
SY Quraishi says the last three general elections (2004, 2009, 2014) were held were held from April 20 to May 10 (four phases), April 16 to May 13 (five phases) and April 7 to May 12 (nine phases), respectively.
Lok Sabha elections will see more money, violence and hatred, said former Chief Election Commissioner T S Krishnamurthy. READ HERE
in 2014, the EC had announced the polling schedule on March 5. The results were declared on 16 May 2014. The BJP got an absolute majority with 282 seats out of 543, 166 more than 2009.