{{Voting for the 2014 general election will begin on April 7, the Election Commission said on Wednesday.}}<\/p>\n
More than 814 million people \u2014 a number larger than the population of Europe \u2014 will be eligible to vote in the world\u2019s biggest democratic exercise.<\/p>\n
Voting will be held in nine stages, which will be staggered until May 12, and results are due to be announced on May 16. Elections to state assemblies in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim will be held simultaneously.<\/p>\n
Around 930,000 polling stations will be set up for the month-long election using electronic voting machines, first introduced in 2004.<\/p>\n
About 23 million eligible voters have been enrolled in the 18 to 19 age group, nearly 3 percent of India\u2019s voters.<\/p>\n
Of India\u2019s 814.5 million eligible voters, 28,314 identify themselves as transgender and their gender is listed as \u201cother\u201d. There are 11,844 non-resident Indians registered to vote in the election this year.<\/p>\n
Since introducing photo voter ID cards and electoral rolls in 2009, 98 percent of India\u2019s eligible voters have the former, 96 percent have the latter.<\/p>\n
Electronic voting machine security includes: transported under armed escort and stored in strong rooms, with a double lock system and guarded 24\u00d77 by armed police, and CCTV coverage. Also, parties\/candidates allowed to keep a watch on them.<\/p>\n
\u201cBasic Minimum Facilities\u201d for polling stations include drinking water, shed, toilet, ramp for disabled voters.<\/p>\n
Voters will have a \u201cNone of the Above\u201d option on voting machines.<\/p>\n
Narendra Modi of the Bharatiya Janata Party has emerged as the favourite in opinion polls, which reflect waning support for Rahul Gandhi\u2019s Congress party that wrested power from the BJP in 2004.<\/p>\n
Modi, the chief minister of Gujarat, will also be challenged by a clutch of regional parties that are vying for power as part of a \u201cthird front\u201d opposed to both the Congress and the BJP.<\/p>\n
Also in the race is Arvind Kejriwal\u2019s Aam Aadmi Party, which made a stunning debut in Delhi elections last year and is now eyeing a national presence on the anti-corruption plank.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a look at the election schedule, and the states and union territories going to polls:<\/p>\n
April 7 (six constituencies) \u2013 Assam, Tripura<\/p>\n
April 9 (seven constituencies) \u2013 Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland<\/p>\n
April 10 (92 constituencies) \u2013 Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar islands, Chandigarh, Lakshadweep, Delhi<\/p>\n
April 12 (five constituencies) \u2013 Assam, Sikkim, Tripura<\/p>\n
April 17 (122 constituencies) \u2013 Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal<\/p>\n
April 24 (117 constituencies) \u2013 Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Puducherry<\/p>\n
April 30 (89 constituencies) \u2013 Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu<\/p>\n
May 7 (64 constituencies) \u2013 Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal<\/p>\n
May 12 (41 constituencies) \u2013 Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal<\/p>\n
{{MORE ON THE ELECTION}}<\/p>\n
The new Lok Sabha is expected to be constituted by June 1 with 543 lawmakers chosen from across India. Of these, 131 seats are reserved for candidates from the country\u2019s scheduled castes and tribes.<\/p>\n
Two other lawmakers can be appointed to the Lok Sabha by the president to ensure the representation of India\u2019s tiny Anglo-Indian community, taking the total number of lawmakers to 545.<\/p>\n
A political party needs to secure at least 272 seats to form the government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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