New Delhi:
The Election Commission has announced that counting for all five states headed for elections is being moved from March 4 to March 6.
The states that are voting between now and then include Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur and Uttar Pradesh.
The first phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh has already been rescheduled to March 3 from February 4 as had been earlier announced. This effectively pushes the start of elections in the state to February 8 and has turned the first phase into the last phase of polling.
The change in poll schedule in UP was necessitated by an uncertainty over the date of 'Barawafat' festival, the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammad, which may also fall on February 4.