LS poll schedule likely this week

NEW DELHI, Mar 1 (Agencies): The Election Commission is all set to announce the schedule for the Lok Sabha elections in the next couple of days.

EC sources said that an early announcement was expected as the multi-phased elections would require the mandatory margin for issue of notification and campaign.

They said presuming the first phase was around April 15, the schedule should have a minimum of 15-day gap between announcement and the issue of notification, followed by nearly ten days for filing nominations, scrutiny and withdrawal and another 14 days for campaigning - that is, almost 45 days.

Assembly polls in Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Sikkim will also be held along with the Lok Sabha polls.

For the first time elections to the 543-member House would be held under the redrawn Parliamentary seats, an exercise that forced several leaders to virtually start from scratch and nurture new constituencies.

Political leaders with whom the Commission has held consultations last month favoured that the exercise should be held in minimum number of phases.

The last Lok Sabha polls in 2004 were conducted in four phases.

This is also for the first time that the general elections would be held on the basis of the photo electoral rolls carried out country-wide except Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and Nagaland, the sources said.