EC to announce polls in five states

New Delhi, Jan 4 (IANS) The Election Commission of India will announce later on Wednesday the dates for the assembly elections in five states.

According to sources, the dates will be announced for elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Manipur, Uttarakhand and Goa at a press conference here at noon.

The terms of the legislative assemblies of Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur are ending in mid-March, while the Uttar Pradesh assembly’s term would expire in May.

As per the law, elections to the legislative assembly of a state must be held — and new assembly formed — well before its term expires.

The Election Commission had last week asked the five poll-bound states to brace up for the elections and had urged strict adherence to the Model Code of Conduct that would come into force immediately after the announcement of polls.