The business of the government will be suspended for the next three months. Even the private sector will take a breather since any new large commitment will be made only after the outcome of the elections. The Lok Sabha elections will be held in five phases between April 16 and May 13. The counting will be done on May 16. New Lok Sabha will be constituted by June 2. And the model code of conduct has come into effect from Monday.
The elections will be held in 5 phases in J&K and Uttar Pradesh, in four phases in Bihar, three in Maharashtra, two in AP, Assam, Jharkhand, Karnataka, MP, Orissa and Punjab, remaining states and UTs, the election will be held on one day, the Election Commission said on Monday.
Polls will be conducted in 124 constituencies on April 16, in 141 constituencies on April 23, in 107 constituencies on April 30, 85 on May 7 and 86 on May 13.
Polls in Manipur will be conducted on April 22, as April 23 is a local holiday.Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Orissa will go to polls with the other states.
Earlier in the day, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) led by Ajit Singh struck an alliance with the BJP-led opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The RLD will have a poll pact with the main NDA constituent the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Congress, on the other hand, has joined hands with Trinamool Congress of Mamta Banerjee to fight the Lok Sabha elections against the Left front in West Bengal.
