The initiation of the nomination procedure for the third tranche of the Lok Sabha elections, which will transpire on May 7 in 94 constituencies spanning 12 states, commenced on Friday. This process kicked off promptly following the issuance of a directive by the Election Commission, representing President Droupadi Murmu. April 19 marks the deadline for submission of candidacy papers.

Concurrently, an additional directive was promulgated concerning the ‘postponed’ election in Betul, a Madhya Pradesh constituency, as reported by the EC. This deferral is attributed to the passing of the BSP candidate, necessitating the party’s opportunity to put forth a new contender. In scenarios where a candidate from a recognized national or state party perishes before the election, the poll is deferred to facilitate the party in selecting an alternative candidate.

Initially, voting in the Betul constituency was slated for the second phase on April 26. The jurisdictions encompassed in the third phase include Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Goa, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. The voting schedule for the seven-phase elections to elect the 18th Lok Sabha commences on April 19 and concludes on June 1. Tallying of ballots will occur on June 4.