The great Indian general election for 543 Lok Sabha (lower house) seats will be held in seven phases from April 19, Chief Election Commissioner of India Rajiv Kumar announced on Saturday. The counting will be held on June 4.
Along with announcing Lok Sabha elections, CEC Rajiv Kumar also outlined the schedule of Assembly polls in four states – Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Odisha.
Assembly elections will be held in Andhra Pradesh on May 13, in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim on April 19.
Bypolls on 26 Assembly seats will also be held along with the Lok Sabha polls. Nearly 96.8 crore people are eligible to cast their votes in the upcoming polls at over 12 lakh polling stations.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the dates for Lok Sabha and four state Assembly elections.
- Phase 1 elections will be held on April 19, and the last date for making nominations is March 27. Polls will be held in 21 States and Union Territories.
- Phase 2 elections will be held from April 26, and the last date for nominations for candidates is April 4. The second phase will cover 12 States and Union Territories.
- Phase 3 elections will be held on May 7, and the last date for nominations for candidates is April 19. The third phase will cover 12 States and Union Territories.
- Phase 4 elections will be held on May 13, and the last date for nominations for candidates is April 25. The fourth phase will cover 10 States and Union Territories.
- Phase 5 elections will be held on May 20, and the last date for nominations for candidates is May 3. The fifth phase will cover 8 States and Union Territories.
- Phase 6 elections will be held on May 25, the last date for nominations for candidates is May 6. The sixth phase will cover 7 States and Union territories.
- Phase 7 elections will be held on June 1, and the last date for nominations for candidates is May 14. The seventh phase will cover 8 States and Union Territories.
Phase 1 elections will be held in 102 constituencies, and a total of 89 constituencies will undergo phase 2.
In Phase 3, polling will be held in 94 constituencies.
96 constituencies will undergo polling in Phase 4, and 49 constituencies will undergo polling in Phase 5.
In Phase 6, polls will be held in 57 constituencies and also in Phase 7, 57 constituencies will undergo polls.
The assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha will be held on May 13. while the Assembly polls in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim are on April 19; votes will be counted on Jun 4.
Nearly 97 crore voters will be eligible to vote for 543 Lok Sabha constituencies across the country. The moral code of conduct comes into force immediately with the announcement of dates.
CEC Rajiv Kumar said that strict directions have been given to District Magistrates and Superintendent of Police to ensure a level playing field. CRPF is to be deployed adequately & assisted by Integrated control rooms in each district. Check posts & drones to ensure vigil.
Ensuring voters’ trust is paramount. Violence in elections is unacceptable. Impersonators are to be swiftly punished. Transparency in permissions to parties/candidates through the SUVIDHA portal.
ECI has offered 27 apps and portals for all stakeholders.
cVigil empowers citizens to report MCC violations and assures action within 100 mts. KYC app facilitates informed voting. A revamped results portal to enhance the experience on results day.
He further mentioned that the poll body is sensitive to environmentally sustainable elections.
“We are making efforts to minimise single-use plastic and encourage eco-friendly practices in the election process,”
he said.
CEC Kumar informed that to curb the flow of illicit money, the poll body has held extensive reviews with enforcement agencies.
“Cash movement worth around Rs 3,400 crore was restricted in the last 11 state assembly elections in Rajasthan, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and Tripura,”
CEC Kumar said.
“Measures like ESMs portal, and coordination between agencies resulted in an exponential increase in seizures in the last 11 elections,” he added.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said that there is no place for bloodbaths and violence in the elections.
“From wherever we will receive the information of violence, we will take action against them,”
he said.
On the misinformation being spread in the current era, CEC Kumar said, “We have put certain measures in place to ensure misinformation is nipped in the bud. We’re proactive in debunking fake news. Originators of fake news to be dealt with severely as per extant laws.”
“Verify Before You Amplify” is the mantra to combat fake news. Let’s rely on authoritative sources to ensure accurate information prevails. Stay vigilant and help us maintain the integrity of the electoral process,”
he added.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar’s mentioned a Shayari advising voters to not forward fake news and unverified information.
“Jhuth ke bazaar mein raunak to bahut hai, Goya bulbule jaisi turant hi fat jati hai..
Pakad bhi loge to kya hasil hoga siwaye dhokhe ke,” he said.
The Model Code of Conduct (MCC)
MCC has come into effect from Saturday after the Election Commission of India announced the dates for elections to the Lok Sabha and four state assemblies, with Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar asking all political parties and their leaders to strictly adhere to the poll code.
According to the set of guidelines issued by the EC (Election Commission), no party or candidate shall indulge in any activity that may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic.
It lists out the dos and don’ts regarding general conduct, meetings, processions, conduct of parties and their candidates on polling day, polling booth, observers, party in power and guidelines on election manifestos.
According to the guidelines, all parties and candidates shall avoid scrupulously all activities that are “corrupt practices” and offences under the election law, such as bribing of voters, intimidation of voters, impersonation of voters, canvassing within 100 meters of polling stations, holding public meetings during 48 hours ending with the hour fixed for the close of the poll, and the transport and conveyance of voters to and from the polling station.
The poll body said that organising demonstrations or picketing before the houses of individuals by way of protesting against their opinions or activities shall not be resorted to under any circumstances.
No political party or candidate shall permit its or his followers to make use of any individual’s land, building, compound wall etc., without his permission for erecting flag-staffs, suspending banners, pasting notices, writing slogans etc.
Political parties and candidates shall ensure that their supporters do not create obstructions in or break up meetings and processions organised by other parties. Workers or sympathisers of one political party shall not create disturbances at public meetings organised by another political party by asking questions orally or in writing or by distributing leaflets of their party.
Processions shall not be taken out by one party along places at which meetings are held by another party. Posters issued by one party shall not be removed by workers of another party.
As soon as the poll code comes into effect, the party in power be it at the Centre or in the State or states concerned, shall ensure that no cause is given for any complaint that it has used its official position for its election campaign.
According to the Model Code of Conduct, Ministers shall not combine their official visit with electioneering work and shall not also make use of official machinery or personnel during the electioneering work. Also, Government transport including official aircraft, vehicles, machinery and personnel shall not be used for furtherance of the interest of the party in power.
Ministers and other authorities shall not sanction grants or payments out of discretionary funds from the time elections are announced by the Commission; and from the time elections are announced by Commission, Ministers and other authorities shall not announce any financial grants in any form or promises thereof; or (except civil servants) lay foundation stones etc. of projects or schemes of any kind; or make any promise of construction of roads, provision of drinking water facilities etc. or make any ad-hoc appointments in Government, Public Undertakings etc. which may have the effect of influencing the voters in favour of the party in power.
Ministers of Central or State Government shall not enter any polling station or place of counting except in their capacity as a candidate or voter or authorised agent.
The party in power will have to ensure that public places such as maidens etc., for holding election meetings, and the use of helipads for air flights in connection with elections shall not be monopolised by itself. Other parties and candidates shall be allowed the use of such places and facilities on the same terms and conditions on which they are used by the party in power, according to the poll guidelines.
The issue of advertisements at the cost of public exchequer in newspapers and other media and the misuse of official mass media during the election period for partisan coverage of political news and publicity regarding achievements to further the prospects of the party in power shall be scrupulously avoided.
The Election Commission, to ensure a level playing field between the contesting parties and candidates in elections and also to see that the purity of the election process does not get vitiated, as in past been issuing instructions under the Model Code of Conduct.
According to the guidelines, criticism of other political parties, when made, shall be confined to their policies and programmes, records and work. Parties and Candidates shall refrain from criticism of all aspects of private life, not connected with the public activities of the leaders or workers of other parties. Criticism of other parties or their workers based on unverified allegations or distortion shall be avoided.
There shall be no appeal to caste or communal feelings for securing votes with mosques, churches, temples or other places of worship shall not be used as a forum for election propaganda, it said.
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