Raipur: With the announcement of assembly polls in five states including Chhattisgarh, the model code of conduct on Friday came into force in the state where a two-phased polling will be held in November.
"With the announcement of poll schedules, district election officers have been directed to implement the model code of conduct," Chief Electoral Officer Sunil Kujur told reporters Friday evening.
As many as 18 Maoist-affected constituencies of the state`s southern region would witness polling in the first phase on November 11, while the rest of the 72 constituencies would go to polls in the second phase on November 19.
"Eighteen constituencies in Bastar, Bijapur, Kondagaon, Sukma, Kondagaon, Kanker and Rajnandgaon will go to polls in the first phase," Kujur said.
Gazette notification for the first phase will be issued on October 18, with filing of nominations to begin on the same day, he said.
Final date for filing nominations has been scheduled on October 25, after which scrutiny of nominations would be completed by the next day.
Contestants may withdraw their name by October 28, well before the first phase of polling on November 11.
Similarly, the gazette notification for the second phase will be issued on October 25.
The last date to file nominations will be November 1 and scrutiny will be completed by the next day.
Contestants may withdraw their candidatures until November 4 after which 72 constituencies would go to polls on Novem ber 19, Kujur said.
Counting for both phases would be held on December 8, he said, adding that there are almost 1,67,97,368 voters in the state of which 85,51,862 are men and 82,45,506 are women.
A total of 21,418 polling stations in the state require 1.10 lakh personnel for conducting elections.
So far more than 99 per cent of voter identities have been prepared in the state, he said.
For the first time, the Election Commission will provide a "None Of The Above" (NOTA) button on electronic voting machines (EVMs).
In the wake of announcement of polls, Director General of Police Ramniwas told that enough security forces are available to ensure fearless elections and EC directives would be followed.
"For peaceful elections, the police has begun checking licensed weapons across the state and very soon all licensed weapons will be deposited. Security has been beefed up to check illegal sale of liquor and movement of illegal weapons," he said.
PTI
