News Politics National Live reporting: EC announces 9 phase LS elections starting from April 7

Live reporting: EC announces 9 phase LS elections starting from April 7

New Delhi: Polling in the high-stake elections for the 16th Lok Sabha, witnessing a virtual contest between Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi and pitting a number of other Prime Ministerial aspirants, will be held on

The total electorate in the country as per final published E-rolls with January 1, 2014 as the cut-off date is about 81.45 crore compared to 71.3 crore in 2009, an increase of more than 10 crore electors.

Over 2.3 crore new electors in this age group of 18 to 19 years, constituting 2.88 per cent of total electors have been added. The last election had seen an increase of 0.75 per cent in this age group.

The number of electors enrolled as “Others” gender that comprising transgenders is 28,314. There are also 11,844 overseas electors in the current electoral rolls and another 13,28,621 service electors.

The Chief Election Commissioner appealed to the political parties and candidates to uphold the peerless democratic traditions of the nation by maintaining high standards of political discourse and fairplay in their election campaign.

Reassuring the nation of its commitment to hold free, fair and credible elections, Sampath exhorted the 1.1 crore election officials to rededicate themselves to the tasks associated with the conduct of elections as a sacred duty.  He also called upon all voters to reinforce the democratic ethos of the nation by turning up at polling stations and exercising their right to vote in an informed and ethical manner.