Four-Way Contest As Punjab Votes On February 14

Punjab will vote in a single phase on February 14 in the assembly elections. Votes will be counted on March 10. The Election Commission today announced the schedule for polls in five states, including Goa, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

The election will start from UP on February 10. Voting will be held in UP in all the seven phases.

On February 14, Goa, Uttarakhand and Punjab will vote in a single phase.

Manipur will vote on February 27 and March 3.

The seven-phase election will end on March 7. Votes will be counted on March 10.

The Congress is looking to retain power in Punjab, while the BJP and former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh have agreed to form an alliance.

Except in Punjab, the BJP is in power in the other four states where elections will be held.

With the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic unfolding, the Election Commission has set new protocols to ensure "Covid safe" elections to 690 assembly seats across the five states, Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra told reporters today. He was flanked by election commissioners Rajiv Kumar and Anup Chandra Pandey.

Voting will be held in Punjab's 117 seats. The Model Code of Conduct has come into effect in the five states with the announcement of election dates.