Elections for the 16th Lok Sabha elections will be held in nine phases, the highest so far, between April 7 and May 12 and involve an electorate of 81.4 crore, the Election Commission announced on Wednesday.
Counting of votes in all the 543 Lok Sabha constituencies will be held on a single day on May 16, Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath announced at a press conference where he was flanked by the other two election commisioners HS Brahma and SNA Zaidi.
The 2009 polls were held in five phases from April 16 to May 13.
The term of the current Lok Sabha expires on June 1, and the new House has to be constituted by May 31.
It could be the first time the country witnesses elections over such a long period.
An estimated 81.4 crore voters will be eligible to vote in the coming elections with 9.71 crore new voters being added to the rolls since the last elections. The electoral rolls are ready after being updated with January 1 as the cut-off date.
A total of 1.1 crore poll personnel, half of security personnel, will be deployed to ensure a free and fair poll. The database of the civilian staff to be deployed for conducting the polls has been prepared and at least 5.5 million civilians would be deployed.
Lok Sabha Elections 2014 results will be declare on 16th may 2014