President notifies phase one polls

President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam today issued notification for elections to 141 parliamentary constituencies across 15 states in the first part ...

President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam today issued notification for elections to 141 parliamentary constituencies across 15 states in the first part of the five phases in which the polls are to be conducted. This sets into motion the process for the forthcoming general elections.

The 141 seats listed in the first phase are spread over Gujarat, J-K, Mizoram, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Chhattisgarh and parts of Bihar, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Assam and Manipur.

Notifications were also issued by governors for 147 out of 294 seats in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, 120 out of 224 seats in Karnataka and 77 of the 147 seats in Orissa.

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Nearly 675 million voters are eligible to cast their votes in the 2004 elections in which electronic voting machines will be used for the first time throughout the country.

The last date for filing nominations to the constituencies going to polls in the first phase is March 31. The dates for withdrawal of candidature are April 3 and 5. The EC will for the first time appoint special observers, apart from the several general observers. J-K is the only state where elections to the six constituencies will be held in four phases.

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