Lok Sabha Polls: Mumbai to vote on April 29, rest of Maharashtra between April 11-29

The Election Commission announced the schedule for the Lok Sabha elections 2019 on Sunday.

Per the schedule, Maharashtra will vote for Lok Sabha 2019 elections in four phases next month – on April 11, 18, 23 and 29. With 48 seats, Maharashtra represents the second highest seat count in the country after Uttar Pradesh.

Overall, the election will cover 543 constituencies and voting will take place over seven phases from April 11 to May 19. The counting of votes would take place on May 23.

In Maharashtra, the seven constituencies will go to the polls in the first phase, 10 in the second, 14 in the third and 17 in the final round.

In the first phase (April 11), votes from Wardha, Ramtek, Nagpur, Bhandara-Gondiya, Gadchiroli-Chimu, Chandrapur and Yavatmal-Washim will cast votes. (7 seats)

In the second phase (April 18), Buldhana, Akola, Amravati, Hingoli, Nanded, Parbhani, Beed, Osmanabad, Latur and Solapur will see polling. (10 seats).

The third phase (April 23) will involve Jalgaon, Raver, Jalna, Aurangabad, Raigad, Pune, Baramati, Ahmednagar, Madha, Sangli, Satara, Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg, Kolhapur and Hatkanangle. (14 seats)

In the fourth and final phase (April 29), voting will be held in Nandurbar, Dhule, Dindori, Nashik, Palghar, Bhiwandi, Kalyan, Thane, Mumbai-North, Mumbai North-East, Mumbai North-West, Mumbai North-Central, Mumbai South-Central and Mumbai South, Maval, Shirur, and Shirdi. (17 seats).

In a positive development, the ratio of women voters in the state has increased from 889/1,000 (2014) to 911/1,000 this time, Chief Electoral Officer Ashwani Kumar said.

Voting shall be conducted only on EVM-VVPAT machines, and each polling centre shall be provided with all minimum amenities as mandated by Election Commission. A total of 95,473 polling stations will be set up this time around, compared to 89,479 in 2014.

The Model Code of Conduct has come into effect immediately after the announcement.