While polling will be spread over seven phases in Uttar Pradesh, it will be a one-day affair in Uttarakhand, Punjab and Goa, and a two-day exercise in Manipur.
Counting of votes will be taken up together in all the states on March 11, the Election Commission announced today setting in process the mega political exercise in the new year.
Announcing the schedule, Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said the Commission will keep a watch on the use of black money, which is expected to come down due to demonetisation. Steps will be taken up to ensure that other illegal inducements are not used to influence voters, he said.
Unlike last elections, Manipur, which recently witnessed violence raising questions whether elections would be possible now, will have a two-day polling on March 4 (38 constituencies) and March 8 (22 seats). Here, the Congress seeks to retain power.
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The whole electoral process will begin with the issue of notification for polls in Punjab and Goa on January 11.
Punjab, which a 117-member assembly, promises to be an essentially three-way fight between the ruling SAD-BJP combine, Congress and the new entrant AAP.
After sensational political developments in Uttarakhand in 2016, where Congress was temporarily dislodged from power due to defections, the party and BJP are set for a virtual direct fight on 70 seats.
690 constituencies in five states, for which the Commission has set up 1.85 lakh polling stations, up 15 per cent from the number during the 2012 polls.
"The Model Code of Conduct will come into immediate effect and will apply on political parties and state governments concerned, besides the Central government in terms of announcements in these states," Zaidi said.
The CEC said candidates will have to open a bank account for all election expenditures and expenses above Rs 20,000 will be made through cheques from the new accounts. He added that donations above Rs 20,000 will also be accepted through cheques.
Responding to a question on poll funding, the CEC said the Commission has already asked the government to cut down to Rs 2,000 the present Rs 20,000 limit on anonymous donations to parties.
He said as part of reforms, the candidates will have to submit a 'No-Demand Certificate' from agencies providing amenities and government accommodation. The certificate will come from agencies dealing with electricity, water, telephone and also the rent certificate of the government accommodation which these candidates may have occupied in past 10 years.
The Commission had first experimented the initiative in a Puducherry bypoll recently.
Asked about suggestions that the Commission 'waited' for Prime Minister Modi's Lucknow rally before announcing the poll schedule, Zaidi said the poll panel "has its own mind."
"It does not make its schedule according to the request of political parties," he said.
The Commission will issue photo voter slips to voters ahead of polls and will, for the first time, also distribute a colourful booklet that will guide the voters on date and time of polls and location of polling stations, besides Dos and Don'ts for them.
The tenure of Punjab, Goa and Manipur assemblies are ending on March 18, while that of Uttarakhand's on March 26 and Uttar Pradesh Assembly on May 27.
Of the total 690 constituencies going to polls in these five states, 133 are reserved for Scheduled Castes and 23 for Scheduled Tribe.
To ensure full secrecy of a voter and that facial expressions don't indicate their choice of candidate, the EC had decided to increase the height of the shield that covers the EVM to 30 inches.