The nomination process for the first phase of Lok Sabha elections, which will cover 102 parliamentary constituencies across 21 states and Union territories, began on Wednesday with the issuance of a notification by the Election Commission on behalf of the President. According to the notification, the last date for filing nomination papers is March 27, however, due to a festival, March 28 will be the last date for filing nominations for the Lok Sabha seats in Bihar. The voting for four out of 40 seats in Bihar will take place in this phase.
The scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on March 28 for all states, except Bihar where it will take place on March 30. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is March 20, except for Bihar where it is April 2. The first phase of polling will take place on April 19 followed by subsequent phases on April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. The counting of votes will be done on June 4.
The states where polling will be held in the first phase are Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep and Puducherry. This marks the beginning of a crucial process in determining the future leadership of the country and sets the stage for a heated political battle between various parties and their candidates across these diverse regions.
