Assembly Elections for five states announced; NOTA option introduced

Zee Media Bureau/Deepak Nagpal

New Delhi: The Election Commission on Friday announced the schedule for Assembly Elections to be held in five states, namely Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram. Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath said Delhi and Mizoram will go to polls in single phase on December 4, while voting will be held in Rajasthan on December 1, and in Madhya Pradesh on November 25. Chhattisgarh will have two-phase polls on November 11 and 19. The counting of votes will be held together for all five states on December 8. The model code of conduct has come into force with immediate effect in all five states. The `None Of The Above` (NOTA) option for negative voting will be provided in these elections, as desired by the Supreme Court, Sampath said. In Delhi, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit is seeking a record fourth straight term in office. The full Election Commission met earlier this morning to finalise the dates for the Assembly Elections. The panel has already asked the Union Home Ministry for 60,000 paramilitary personnel to be deployed in five states ahead of the polls. The Assembly Elections are crucial as they are being considered a semi-final before the General Elections in 2014. Detailed Poll Schedule: Madhya Pradesh: Date of issue of Gazette Notification: Nov 1 Last date of filing of nomination: Nov 8 Date of scrutiny of nomination: Nov 9 Last date of withdrawal of nomination: Nov 11 Date of polling: Nov 25 Chhattisgarh: First Phase Date of issue of Gazette Notification: Oct 18 Last date of filing of nomination: Oct 25 Date of scrutiny of nomination: Oct 26 Last date of withdrawal of nomination: Oct 28 Date of polling: Nov 11 Second Phase Date of issue of Gazette Notification: Oct 25 Last date of filing of nomination: Nov 1 Date of scrutiny of nomination: Nov 2 Last date of withdrawal of nomination: Nov 4 Date of polling: Nov 19 Rajasthan: Date of issue of Gazette Notification: Nov 5 Last date of filing of nomination: Nov 12 Date of scrutiny of nomination: Nov 13 Last date of withdrawal of nomination: Nov 16 Date of polling: Dec 1 Delhi: Date of issue of Gazette Notification: Nov 9 Last date of filing of nomination: Nov 16 Date of scrutiny of nomination: Nov 18 Last date of withdrawal of nomination: Nov 20 Date of polling: Dec 4 Mizoram: Date of issue of Gazette Notification: Nov 9 Last date of filing of nomination: Nov 16 Date of scrutiny of nomination: Nov 18 Last date of withdrawal of nomination: Nov 20 Date of polling: Dec 4 Counting of votes on December 8 Other Salient Points of the EC Press Conference

Over 11 crore electorate in all five states

630 Assembly seats in total in five states

Photo coverage in electors rolls and issue of EPIC is near 99-100%

Total polling stations 1 lakh 30 thousand

EVMs to be used in all five states

There will be Voter Awareness Observers for the first time

EC officials to go door-to door to give Voter ID card

Educating voters on the SC ruling on convicted lawmakers and declaration of all assets by candidates