Confident about winning by a clear majority: BJP

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chief Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said that the party welcomed the decision of the Election Commission (EC) on upcoming polls and that by looking at the response to the party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's rallies, the BJP was confident about winning by a clear majority.

"The Election Commission has made their decision on the poll dates, and I am sure the upcoming elections would be unbiased," said Singh.

"The BJP is sure that it is going to win by a clear majority. We are prepared for the elections, and our target is to get more than 272 seats. Looking at the kind of response Modi's rallies and our party has been getting, we are confident about winning," he said.

BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the party would make sure that the upcoming elections result in a Congress free government.

"We welcome the decision of the Election Commission. After a long time an election is taking place which is awaited not only by parties, but the country which is prepared for change," said Ravi Shankar Prasad.

"We belief that the coming elections will be on unemployment, corruption as well as price rise. We had thought that the level of corruption in the government would stoop down by the time of elections, but the Congress is still going on with it. We will go to the people and will make sure these elections result in a Congress free government," he said.

BJP leader Prakash Javadekar said that he was sure that his party was going to win by a majority in the upcoming elections.

"We welcome the decision of the EC and we are fully prepared for the polls. This is the world's largest democracy, and I am sure that the BJP is going to win by a majority under the leadership of Narendra Modi," said Javadekar.

"We will achieve our goal, and take the country on the road of good governance and harmony," he said.

Earlier in the day, the Election Commission announced the schedule for Lok Sabha polls 2014.

Polling will held on nine days, starting April 07 and the counting of votes will be held on May 16.

The polls will be held on April 7, April 9, April 10, April 12, April 14, April 25, April 30, May 7 and May 12.

State elections in Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Odisha will be held simultaneously.

The term of the current Lok Sabha expires on 1st June and the new House has to be constituted by May 31.