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LS election 2019 date highlights: EC announces poll schedule, no assembly elections in J&K
New Delhi, Mar 10: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday announced the schedule for the Lok Sabha elections 2019. The voting would be held in seven phases between April 11, 2019, and May 19, 2019. The counting of votes would be done on May 23, 2019.
No announcement was made on the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Model Code of Conduct will come into force from today.
Here are the highlights from EC's announcement:
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The Congress also questioned why the dates for Jammu and Kashmir elections were not announced by the Election Commission. Venugopal asked, "Why is the government running away from conducting elections in Jammu and Kashmir? It is a part of India and the entire country wants a democratic government in the state. This is the need of the hour." He said it is the duty of the Election Commission to "foresee the things that are happening on social media" and to conduct a free and fair elections.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who also addressed the press conference, said, "When opposition parties go into an alliance, sometimes it is post-poll and sometimes it is pre-poll. You should remain assured." "This nation's people have decided that the way this government has performed...people have been misled and there was misgovernance...so when it comes to alliance, the alliance will happen," he said.
Addressing a press conference, Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said, "The Congress and opposition are united and we are very confident that we will defeat the Modi government." "We welcome the much-awaited election announcement. We, the Congress, believe in democracy and are confident that this democratic process will dethrone this anti-democratic and dictatorial Modi-BJP government from power," he claimed. He said the party was going to have an alliance in Maharashtra.
Claiming that victory will be of the truth, the Congress Sunday welcomed the declaration of the Lok Sabha election schedule, saying the party along with the united opposition will defeat and dethrone the Modi government from power. The Congress also said that it will announce seat-sharing pattern with alliance partners in Maharashtra, West Bengal and Bihar within two-three days. Soon after the announcement by the Election Commission, the party put out a two-minute video entitled 'aarambh hai prachand' (the beginning of something massive), showing party chief Rahul Gandhi meeting the people across the country.
"In Bengal, large-scale violence & intimidation in past few elections has been disturbing. EC must pay special attention to ensure that the destruction of Democracy, as happened in local elections, is not repeated. Sanctity of each voter's franchise is what preserves our Republic," CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury tweeted.
CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Sunday questioned how can be the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir "good enough" to hold general elections and not assembly polls. The Election Commission Sunday announced that Lok Sabha polls in Jammu and Kashmir will not be held along with general elections.
At a press conference after the announcement of the poll schedule, Congress leader K C Venugopal said people will change the Modi government that believes in all talk and no work. All its promises have remained unfulfilled, he said asserting that it will be defeated when votes are counted on May 23. Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel claimed the upcoming elections will herald a new era ending five years of "chaotic, despotic and destructive" dispensation and the country will return to the path of "sobriety, integrity and inclusivity".
BJP president Amit Shah urged people to "bless" his party in the Lok Sabha election, saying the Modi government has taken bold decisions for their welfare in its first term and will ensure India's giant leap to make everyone "happy and prosperous" in its second. Welcoming the poll announcement, Shah made a strong pitch for the re-election of the BJP-led dispensation at the Centre, saying it has achieved "phenomenal results" in various spheres of governance during this term.
"ECI declaring 7-phase schedule for general election to elect 17th Lok Sabha in the country is a welcome move. Crores of poor, labourers, farmers, women, youth etc participate in great strength in polling. Respecting them, free, fair and peaceful polling is utmost necessary," tweets BSP chief Mayawati.
"Based on input, constraint of availability of central forces&other logistics, requirement of forces for security of candidates in wake of recent violence and keeping other challenges in mind EC has decided at this stage to announce only schedule of Parliament election in J&K," says CEC Sunil Arora..
After holding elections in Jammu and Kashmir, EC has continuously assessed the situation in state, requirement of forces, security of candidates and preparedness of states. This includes recent developments. State Govt of J&K and Home Ministry has sent detailed statement to EC. EC had recently visited J&K and met officials too. No assembly election is J&K, says EC.
22 states would be voting single phase: Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Sikkim, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Andaman Niccobar, Dadra and Nagar haveli, Daman and Diu, Lakshdweep, Delhi, Pondicherry, Chandigarh.
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