New Delhi : Elections for the 16th Lok Sabha will be held from April 7 to May 12 spread over nine days in the highest number of polling days so far involving an electorate of 81.4 crore, the Election Commission announced on Wednesday.

Counting of votes in all the 543 Lok Sabha constituencies will be held on a single day on May 16, Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath announced at a press conference flanked by ECs H.S. Brahma and S.N.A. Zaidi.

Assembly elections will also be held simultaneously in the states of Andhra Pradesh, including Telangana region, Odisha and Sikkim.

Nation will go to polls on April 7, 9, 10, 12, 17, 24, 30, May 7 and May 12.

The first polling day on April 7 will cover six Lok Sabha constituencies in two states, while the second on April 9 will cover seven constituencies in five states.

92 constituencies will go to polls in 14 states on the third day on April 10, while a small number of five constituencies in three states will be covered on the fourth day on April 12.

The largest chunk of 122 Lok Sabha seats will go to polls in 13 states on April 17, the fifth day of poll, while the sixth day will witness polling in 117 seats in 12 states on April 24.

The seventh day of polling on April 30 will choose representatives in 89 constituencies spread over nine states and the eighth day on May 7 will cover 64 seats in seven states.

Polling will conclude on the ninth day on May 12 with elections in 41 constituencies in three states.

Announcing the election schedule, Chief Election Commissioner V.S. Sampath said, this should not be viewed as phases. “They are poll days,” he said.

Special camps will be organised at all polling stations on March 9 for voters to verify, add or modify their details in the electoral list.

Election Commission has decided to distribute photo election slips with polling station details at his/her doorstep, within 3-7 days from the date of the poll.

With the election schedule announced on Wednesday, Model Code of Conduct for elections comes into force with immediate effect.

State-wise polling days:

Andhra Pradesh: April 30, May 7

Arunachal Pradesh: April 9

Assam: April 7, 12, 24

Bihar: April 10, 17, 24, 30, May 7 and 12

Chhattisgarh: April 10, 17, 24

Goa: April 17

Gujarat: – April 30

Haryana: April 10

Himachal Pradesh: May 7

Jammu and Kashmir: April 10, 17, 24, 30, May 7

Jharkhand – April 10, 17, 24

Karnataka: April 17

Kerala: April 10

Madhya Pradesh: April 10, 17, 24

Maharashtra: April 10, 17, 24

Manipur: April 9, 17

Meghalaya: April 9

Mizoram: April 9

Nagaland: April 9

Odisha: April 10, 17

Punjab: April 30

Rajasthan: April 17, 24

Sikkim: April 12

Tamil Nadu: April 24

Tripura: April 7, 12

Uttar Pradesh: April 10, 17, 24, 30, May 7, 12

Uttarakhand: May 7

West Bengal: April 17, 24, 30, May 7, 12

Andaman and Nicobar Islands: April 10

Chandigarh: April 10

Dadra and Nagar Haveli: April 30

Daman and Diu: April 30

Lakshadweep: April 10

NCT/Delhi: April 10

Puducherry: April 24