Punjab elections on Feb 13

 TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

Assembly elections in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Manipur will be held between February 13 and February 21 next with three-phase polling for the 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly. The Election Commission announced here today.

Besides, the Election Commission will also hold bye-elections to six vacant Lok Sabha constituencies and six vacant Assembly constituencies, including Yanumanagar constituency in Haryana.

There will be a single-day poll for 117-member Punjab Assembly on February 13 and for newly formed UttaraNchal 70-member Assembly on February 14, 2002.

While there will be three phased polls in Uttar Pradesh - on February 14, February 18 and February 21, 2002 - there will be two-day poll in Manipur for 60-member Assembly on February 14 and February 21, 2002, the Chief Election Commissioner J.M. Lyngdoh announced.

The details of the constituencies going to polls on different days in Manipur and Uttar Pradesh States will be given in notifications to be issued by the Governors under Section 15 of the Representation  of the People Act, 1951 on January 16, 2002, Mr Lyngdoh said.

The CEC made it clear that the Model Code of Conduct comes into immediate effect and will apply to Punjab, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, Manipur and the whole of the district in which the whole part of any Assembly constituency or Parliamentary Constituency Is going for bye-election. The code would be applicable to all political parties and the state and Union Government, the CEC said.

The Election Commission will hold on February 21, 2002 bye-elections to six Lok Sabha constituencies  and in six Assembly constituencies — Yanunanagar (Haryana), Arvi (Maharashtra), Saidapat, Vaniyambadi and Andipatti (Tamil Nadu) and Ajmer West (Rajasthan), Guna (MP) and Mirzapur (UP) Lok Sabha seats.