Janjivan Bureau / New Delhi : Elections to the assemblies of Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Telangana will take place between November 7 and 30 and the votes will be counted on December 3.
The Election Commission on Monday announced the poll schedule with all states expect Chhattisgarh to have single phase polls.
Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh (Phase 1) will go to polls on November 7, Chhattisgarh Phase 2 on November 17, Rajasthan on November 23 and Telangana on November 30.
“The process of elections will end by December 5,” Chief Election Commissioner Rajeev Kumar said.
He said 16.1 crore voters would vote for 679 assembly segments in five states, with 8.2 crore male voters and the rest female.
As many as 60.2 lakh are first-time voters.
The CEC said 12 particularly vulnerable tribal groups had been enrolled hundred per cent in all these five states.
Kumar said 940 check posts had been established for coordinated inter-agency action to prevent the flow of money and drugs.
Non-scheduled charter flights will also be monitored closely, he said, adding that cargo movement through railways would also be checked.
In all, there will be 1.77 lakh polling stations of which 1.01 lakh are fitted with web cast as per the EC’s 50% webcast among all stations mandate.
The CEC said candidates with criminal antecedents would have to publish their credentials in newspapers thrice and parties would need to explain why those with a criminal past had been fielded.
The idea is to let people make informed choices, Kumar said.
The Congress is in power in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan; BJP in Madhya Pradesh; and BRS in Telangana.