The dates for the 15th Lok Sabha Election has been announced by the Election Commission. The countdown has begun. It will be in April-May.

Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalswami along with Election Commissioners Navin Chawla and SY Quraishi in an address to a packed press conference at the Nirvachan Sadan in New Delhi announced that the Lok Sabha polls will be held in five phases between April 16 and May 13. The phases will vary from states to states.

The counting of votes will take place on May 16 said Gopalswami and the new Lok Sabha will be constituted by June 2. The Model Code of Conduct is now into force.

Assembly Elections simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls will be held in three states, namely Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Sikkim. During this period 7 by-polls for Assembly seats in different states would also be held.

The total number of electorate is 714 million now in the country. It is an increase of 43 million from 2004 when the last General Elections were held.