New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh and four other states will likely go to polls simultaneously, most likely in February-March, shortly after the presentation of the Union budget. While it will be a single-day polling in Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur, Uttar Pradesh is likely to have as many as seven phases, Election Commission officials familiar with the matter said. Uttarakhand, where the ruling Congress staged a sensational comeback this year following a legal battle, is fighting anti-incumbency and facing challenge from the BJP. It is working out the requirements about security forces with the centre and the states concerned for ensuring that the polls are free and fair. While the term of the Uttar Pradesh assembly ends on May 27, 2017, those of Goa, Manipur and Punjab end on March 18.

Source: Mint October 23, 2016 10:52 UTC