1.41 lakh more poll stations for '09 polls

The 2009 general elections will be conducted through a record number of polling stations that counts up to 8.3 lakh. It is 1.41 lakh more, than the previous (2004) Lok Sabha poll.

Out of these, 12,901 new polling places will be in villages with less than 300 electors. The number has been increased to facilitate the long poll process eliminating the vulnerability to threat and intimidation, and moreover to save voters’ time from travelling far-flung.

Boasting the largest population, Uttar Pradesh with 80 parliamentary seats will have the maximum number of polling booths counting to 128112, followed by Maharashtra (82020), Andhra Pradesh (66346), West Bengal (66205), Bihar (56942), Tamil Nadu (52,000), Madhya Pradesh (47212), and Karnataka (46021).

As per the declared schedule for the 15th general election, the elections for Lok Sabha will be held in five phases on April 16, April 22, April 23, April 30, May 7 and May 13, along with assembly poll in three states (Orissa, Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh). The result will be out on May 16.