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Fifteen crore voters in five States will exercise their franchise in February and March to elect new Legislative Assemblies, the Election Commission said on Wednesday.
While elections to the 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly will be held in seven phases beginning February 11, polls in Uttarakhand, Punjab, and Goa will be held in a single phase. Manipur elections will be held in two phases.
Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi told reporters that that 1.85 lakh polling stations will be set up in the five States. All preparations will be made to ensure law and order during the polls, he added.
On issues such as use of blackmoney, expenses by political parties and the menace of ‘paid news’ Zaidi said adequate measures will be taken by the panel. He said Press Council members will assist the panel to curb paid news.
Zaidi was confident that the Centre’s decision to demonetise high denomination currency will have an impact on the use of blackmoney in elections. He, however, said use of other inducements may increase.
Poll contributions in chequesThe Commission, he said, will insist that all donations above ₹20,000 be made in cheques. He added that programmes in TV channels owned by political parties or candidates will be monitored by the panel.
He added that the candidates will have to submit a ‘No-Demand Certificate’ from agencies providing amenities and government accommodation. He said for the panel will issue Standard Operating Procedures for the first 72 hours of poll process after announcement of polls and for the last 72 hours before polling to ensure that the poll machinery is set rolling and activated.
The maximum limit for expenses for each candidates in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand is ₹ 28 lakh. In Goa and Manipur, the amount is ₹ 20 lakh.
‘EC has its own mind’He also denied the charges by some Opposition parties that the panel delayed the announcement of the polls to help Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make a speech in Lucknow. “Election Commission has its own mind. It does not make its schedule according to the request of political parties,” he said.
On the questions of petitions by both the factions of Samajwadi Party too, he said a decision will be taken in the due course.
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