The Election Commission (EC) on Sunday announced the schedule for the high-voltage Lok Sabha elections, which is likely to be spread over seven to eight phases in April-May.

The poll panel held a press conference at Vigyan Bhavan in the national capital to announce the dates.

As soon as the elections were announced, the model code of conduct came into force. Amongst other things, the code bars the government from announcing policy decisions. 

Highlights:

18:36 IST Sunday, 10 March 2019: Based on input, constraint of availability of central forces&other logistics, requirement of forces for security of candidates in wake of recent violence & keeping other challenges in mind EC has decided at this stage to announce only schedule of Parliament election in J&K.

18:36 IST Sunday, 10 March 2019: Elections to Legislative Assemblies of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Odisha to be held simultaneously with the general elections to the Lok Sabha.

8:28 IST Sunday, 10 March 2019: How many phases for which state

States going to poll in one phase: Andaman, Dadara, Daman, Lakshadweep, Delhi, PuducherryStates going to poll in two phases: Karnataka, Manipur, Rajasthan, TripuraStates going to poll in three phases: Assam, ChhatisgarhStates going to poll in four phases: Jharkhand, MP, Maharashtra, OdishaStates going to poll in five phases: Jammu and KashmirStates going to poll in six phases: no stateStates going to poll in seven phases: Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal

18:27 IST Sunday, 10 March 2019: Phases and seats

Phase-1:

91 constituencies and 20 states- Andhra Pradesh -25, Arunachal Pradesh - 2, Assam- 5, Bihar- 4, Chhattisgarh- 1, Jammu and Kashmir-2, Maharashtra- 7, Manipur- 1, Meghalaya- 2, Mizoram- 1, Nagaland-1, Odisha-4, Sikkim-1, Telangana- 17, Tripura-1, Uttar Pradesh-8, Uttarakhand-5, West Bengal-2, Andaman- 1, Lakshwadeep-1

Notification: March 18

Polling: April 11

Phase 2:

91 constituencies and 13 states- Assam- 5, Bihar-5, CG-3, J&K-2, Karnataka-14, Maharashtra-10, Manipur-1, Odisha- 5, Tamil Ndau-39, Tripura-1, UP-8, WB-3, Puducherry-1

Notification: March 19

Polling: April 18

Phase -3:

115 constituencies and 14 states- Assam-4, Bihar-5, CG-7, Gujarat- 26, Goa-2, J&K-1, Karnataka-14, Kerala- 20, Maharashtra- 14, Odisha- 6, UP-10, WB-5, Dadra & Haveli - 1, Daman And Diu- 1

Notification: March 28

Polling: April 23

Phase -4:

71 constituencies and 9 states- Bihar- 5, J&K-1, Jharkhand-3, MP-6, Maharashtra- 17, Odisha-6, Rajasthan-13, UP-13, WB- 8

Polling: April 29

Phase -5:

51 constituencies and 7 states- Bihar-5, J&K-2, Jharkhand-4, MP-7, Rajasthan-12, UP-14, WB-7

Notification: 10/4

Polling: May 6

Phase -6:

59 constituencies and 7 states- Bihar-8, Haryana-10, Jharkhand-4, MP-8, UP-14, WB-8, NCT Delhi-7

Polling: May 12

Phase-7:

59 constituencies and 8 states- Bihar-8, Jharkhand-3, MP-8, Punjab-13, WB-9, Chandigarh- 1, UP- 13, Himahcal- 4

Notification: April 27

Polling: May 19

Results of all phases: May 23

17:54 IST Sunday, 10 March 2019: Phase-1 polling in Andhra, Arunachal, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal, Kerala, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Sikkim, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Andaman and Nicobar, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman&Diu, Lakshadweep, Delhi, Puducherry, Chandigarh, Uttarakhand.

17:45 IST Sunday, 10 March 2019: 

Phase-1 in 91 constituencies in 20 states

Phase-2 in 97 constituencies in 13 states

Phase-3 in 115 constituencies in 14 states

Phase-4 in 71 constituencies in 9 states

Phase-5 in 51 constituencies in 7 states

Phase-6 in 59 constituencies in 7states

Phase-7 in 59 constituencies in 8 states

17:37 IST Sunday, 10 March 2019: 

Phase 1: April 11 

Phase 2: April 18 

Phase 3: April 23

Phase 4: April 29

Phase 5: May 6

Phase 6: May 12 

Phase 7: May 19

17:32 IST Sunday, 10 March 2019: Lok Sabha polls to be held in 7 phases from April 11, results on May 23

17:26 IST Sunday, 10 March 2019: Model Code of Conduct will also apply on all content posted on social media, says CEC Sunil Arora

17:21 IST Sunday, 10 March 2019: There will be approximately 10 lakh polling stations in this Lok Sabha Elections as compared to 9 lakh polling stations in 2014: CEC Sunil Arora

17:19 IST Sunday, 10 March 2019: The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) comes into effect from today itself in the entire country. Any violation will be dealt with in the strictest manner, says Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora

17:18 IST Sunday, 10 March 2019: Total electorate in this Lok Sabha elections will be 900 million, of which 15 million voters are in the 18-19 age group, says Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora

17:13 IST Sunday, 10 March 2019: VVPATs will be used with all EVMs at all polling stations: Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora

17:04 IST Sunday, 10 March 2019: Election Commission started the preparation for this election quite some time ago: Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora  

17:01 IST Sunday, 10 March 2019: All three Election Commissioner s arrive to address the media

16:59 IST Sunday, 10 March 2019: Election Commission 's meeting ends, press conference shortly

16:55 IST Sunday, 10 March 2019: The Election Commission will announce the schedule for the high-voltage Lok Sabha elections shortly. Three election commissioners, including the Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora will address the media.

The term of the present Lok Sabha ends on June 3. As soon as the elections, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will make his bid to return to power amid hectic parleys by several political parties to put a united fight against the ruling BJP, are announced, the model code of conduct will come into force.

Amongst other things, the code bars the government from announcing policy decisions.