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Our Correspondent / New Delhi

Election Commission today issued notification for 3rd phase of Lok Sabha polls. with this the nominations for in 115 constituencies has begun. Over 14 States and Union Territories will go to polls in this phase on 23rd of next month. All 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat will go to poll in this phase.

About 4 crore 47 lakh voters are eligible to use their franchise in Gujarat. Out of these, 2 crore 14 lakh are female voters. Chief Electoral Officer Dr. S. Murli Krishna has said that more than 51 thousand polling stations will be set up across the state for polling of Loksabha and assembly by-polls.

Number of polling stations have been increased by more than 6 thousand in comparison to the 2014 Loksabha elections. With the start of filing of nominations, 639 static surveillance teams and 208 assistant expenditure observers also became active to keep an eye on miss-use of money.

By-poll on five Assembly seats, Unjha, Jamnagar Rural, Dhrangadhra, Manavadar and Talala, will also be held in the state in this phase.

In Kerala, filing of nominations is underway for 20 Lok Sabha seats. With three major fronts, LDF, UDF and NDA finalising their candidates, campaigning is in full swing in the state.

Goa BJP MP Narendra Sawaikar filed his nomination for the South Goa Lok Sabha constituency.

In Bihar, the notification for polls on the five Lok Sabha seats — Jhanjharpur, Supaul, Araria, Madhepura and Khagaria was issued this morning.

In Assam, the Lok Sabha seats going to polls are Guwahati, Barpeta, Kokrajhar and Dhubri. Over 74 lakh voters are eligible to cast their votes. Social Welfare Minister and Bodoland People’s Front leader Pramila Rani Brahma, AIUDF Chief Badruddin Ajmal and BJP leader Queen Ojha are among the prominent candidates in this phase.

14 seats each in Karnataka and Maharashtra; ten in Uttar Pradesh; seven in Chhattisgarh; six in Odisha; five in West Bengal; two in Goa; and one each in Jammu and Kashmir, Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli will also go to polls in this phase.

In Odisha, 42 seats of the State Assembly will also go to polls in this phase.

The last date for filing of nominations in this phase is the 4th of next month. Scrutiny will take place the next day, with 8th being the last day for withdrawal of candidature.

Today is also the last day for withdrawal of nominations for the first phase of elections on 11th April. Voting will be held in ninety-one constituencies, across 20 States and Union Territories.

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