EC announces 7-phase Lok Sabha election from April 11; results on May 23

With the announcement of the poll schedule, the model code of conduct also came into force with immediate effect

Voting to elect the 17th Lok Sabha (LS) will be held over seven phases from April 11 to May 19 and the counting of votes will take place on May 23, the Election Commission (EC) said on Sunday.

Apart from polling for 543 LS seats, the states of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Sikkim will have simultaneous Assembly polls.

Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said security challenges had made the EC decide against holding Assembly polls in Jammu & Kashmir along with the LS polls. The EC has appointed three former bureaucrats as special observers to monitor the security