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Over 6.24 crore voters in undivided Andhra Pradesh will be eligible to exercise their right to franchise in simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assembly.
As the separate Telangana and residual state of Andhra Pradesh are to come into existence June 2, the Election Commission also decided to conduct the assembly elections in the undivided state.
Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath said the commission will conduct the elections as per the description of the state as of today.
Elections to 42 Lok Sabha seats and the 294-member assembly will be held in two phases - April 30 and May 7.
In the first phase, Telangana will go to polls while voting in Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra (Seemandhra) will be held May 7.
Telangana has 17 Lok Sabha and 119 assembly constituencies, while Seemandhra has 25 Lok Sabha constituencies spread over 175 assembly segments.
"Whoever is elected MLA as per law will automatically become member of the concerned state," Sampath said.
According to the state chief electoral officer, 6.24 crore voters are expected to exercise their right to franchise in the elections compared to 5.78 crore voters in 2009 - an increase of about 46 lakh.
The bill for formation of Telangana as India's 29th state was passed by parliament Feb 20. President Pranab Mukherjee gave his assent to the bill March 1 and the same day the government issued a notification but did not mention the appointed day or formation day of the two states.
The union home ministry Tuesday set June 2 as the formation day for the two states.
The centre last week brought Andhra Pradesh under president's rule and kept the assembly under suspended animation following the resignation of Kiran Kumar Reddy as chief minister protesting the bifurcation.
The term of the state assembly ends June 2.
