The Election Commission announced today that notification for the one-day polls will be issued on October 30, with November 6 being the last date for filing nominations. Counting of votes will take place on November 28.

Simultaneously, elections will be held for the vacant Broach Lok Sabha seat in Gujarat and seven Assembly seats in Assam, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. A total of 83 million voters will be exercising their franchise in the first elections since the BJP took office at the Centre on March 19.

While making the announcement, Chief Election Commissioner M S Gill warned that the model code of conduct comes into immediate effect and political parties in the four states where polls are being held should desist from announcing any new schemes which could disturb the level playing fieldbetween contesting parties and candidates.

Referring to complaints from some political parties that development work would come to a standstill, Gill amd his two commission colleagues, G V G Krishnamurty and J M Lyngdoh were categorical that they would take a strict view of any attempt to woo the public through last-minute announcements of schemes after the election schedule was issued.

The Commission made specific reference to the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi which falls on October 2 and cautioned that the occasion should not be used for announcing new schemes.

Regular and legitimate developmental work could go on, but no fresh announcement would be permitted, with the code equally applicable to all political parties, state governments, the centre and candidates. Opinion polls would be barred 48 hours before the elections, and results of exit polls can only be published after polls.