By : Mohan Verma
Lok Sabha polling would be conducted on May 7 in four parliamentary segments in single phase along with state of Punjab.
Chief electoral officer Narinder Chauhan announced in a press conference held on Wednesday afternoon in Shimla.
He said that notification for Lok Sabha elections would be held on April 12, 2014, date of nomination will be April 19, scrutiny on April 21 and withdrawal of nomination on April 23, 2014. Date of polling would be May 7, 2014, counting will be on May 16, 2014 and winding up of election process will be on 28, May 2014.
He said that as many as 47,40,044 electorates including 24,41,162 male and 22,98,882 female would be eligible for participating in the elections, including 65,857 service voters.
Mr. Chauhan said that 62,133 new voters including 36,621 male and 25,512 female of 18 and 19 years would exercise their votes first time in the elections.
He said that election would be conducted through EVMs. He also added that election commission had already conducted first level check of EVMs for ensuring uninterrupted poll.
CEO said that a control room had been set up on the election department headquarters to keep control on the election process the control room number is 0177-26 29799. Beside this, call center toll free number 1950 has been set up at the headquarters level.
He said that 7382 polling stations (527 urban and 6865 rural) have been set up for four parliamentary seats, which would have four returning officers and 83 assistant returning officers. He said that Lok Sabha segment 1-Kangra would have 1795 polling centers including one RO and 17 AROs, LS segment 2-Mandi would have 1985 polling centers one RO and 31 AROs, LS segment 3-Hamirpur 1680 polling centers, one RO and 16 AROs and LS segment 4-Shimla (reserve for SC) would have 1922 polling centers one RO and 19 AROs, respectively.
Mr. Chauhan said that in order to ensure free and fair poll, officials would be deputed on the election duty and would not be deployed at their respective working, residential places or in their home parliamentary segment.
Meanwhile, the election parties would be constituted by election commission on the basis of randomization software as this it was made available to every district level election officers. Each election party would comprised of four official teams having one presiding officer and three election officials.