Filing of nominations for second phase of Lok Sabha polls begins

The process of filing nominations for 88 parliamentary seats across 12 states in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections began on Thursday, 28 March.

The notification for the second phase of the parliamentary polls -- to be held on 26 April -- was issued by the Election Commission on behalf of the president early on Thursday.

The last date for filing nomination papers for this phase is 4 April.

On 5 April, the nomination papers will be scrutinised in all states and Union Territories, except Jammu and Kashmir.

In Jammu and Kashmir, the scrutiny will be held on 6 April.

Polling in one part of the Outer Manipur Lok Sabha constituency will also be held during this phase. The notification for elections in the Outer Manipur constituency was included in the gazette notification issued for the first phase on 20 March.

Fifteen assembly segments in the Outer Manipur Lok Sabha constituency will go to the polls in the first phase on 19 April. Thirteen assembly segments of the constituency will go to the polls on 26 April.

The states and Union Territories going to the polls in the second phase are Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, apart from one part of the Outer Manipur seat.