New Delhi: The Election Commission today announced the schedule for the Lok Sabha elections that will be held from April 19 in seven phases, with results on June 4.
Twenty-one states will contest in Phase 1 of the elections on April 1, 13 in Phase 2 on April 26, 12 in Phase 3 on May 7, ten in Phase 4 on May 13, eight in Phase 5 on May 20, seven in Phase 6 on May 25 and eight in Phase 7 on June 1.
The tenure of the present Lok Sabha ends on June 16 and a new House will have to be constituted before that.
The tenure of Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and Odisha assemblies will also end in June. With the announcement of election dates, the model code of conduct comes into immediate effect.
Nearly 97 crore voters will be eligible to vote for 543 Lok Sabha constituencies across the country. With the announcement of dates, the moral code of conduct comes into force immediately.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said that strict directions have been given to officials to ensure a level playing field.