India Votes 2009 - Election Dates

Lok Sabha elections will be held in five phases from April 16 to May 13 in redrawn constituencies for the first time, the Election Commission announced on Monday.

Setting in motion the process for the constitution of the 15th Lok Sabha, the poll panel said a total of 714 million electorate will cast their votes on April 16, 23, 30, May 7 and 13 to elect the 543-member House.

Counting of votes will take place on May 16, chief election commissioner N Gopalaswami, flanked by Election commissioners Navin Chawla and SY Quraishi, announced at a press conference here.

Uttar Pradesh, which has the maximum of 80 seats, and Jammu and Kashmir will have five-phase polls while Bihar will go to polls in four stages.

Maharashtra and West Bengal will have three phased polls, while Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Orissa and Punjab will have voting in two stages.

The remaining 15 states and seven union territories will have one-day poll, he said.

Assembly elections to Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Sikkim will also be held along with the Lok Sabha poll