N Gopalaswamy, chief election commissioner of India, announced one-phase elections of new state assemblies in Punjab and Uttaranchal and three-phase election for the assembly elections in Manipur.

According to the scheduled while the polls in Punjab would be held on Feburarym 13, the elections for Uttaranchal would be held on Feburary 21. Model code of conduct would come into effect immediately. Counting of votes would be taken up on Feburary 27.

Manipur would go to polls on Feburary 8, 15 and 23 respectively. Admitting that there is a problem in Manipur because of insurgency the chief election commissioner said that whatever measures needed to be taken have already been taken and adequate number of para military forces would be deployed to ensure free and fair polls.

Uttaranchal would be published the revised electoral rolls on January 1st, 2007, Punjab and Manipur would do the same two days later on January 3, 2007.

Manipur would elect 60 MLAs, while Punjab and Uttaranchal voters would elect 117 and 70 MLAs respectively. "In Punjab out of 117 assembly constitutencies 29 are reserved for the scheduled castes. In Uttaranchal out of 70, 12 are reserved for the scheduled castes and three for scheduled tribes, while in Manipur out of 60 19 are reserved for scheduled castes and one for scheduled tribes," CEC said.

The number of voters who would exercise their franchise in the assembly elections for Manipur,Punjab and Uttaranchal respectively are 16,87,543, 1 crore 67 lakh, 72 thousand and 697 and 59 lakhs 26 thousand and 669.

The election commissioner has appointed two observers in all the assembly constitutencies. While one would look after the election expenses, the other would monitor the elections and conduct of the candidates.

Governors of the three states would issue notifications under representation of people's act. In case of Manipur the notification for polls would be issued on January 13, 20 and 27. The last date for filing the nominations have been fixed for January 20 and 27 for the first two phases and Feburary 3 for the third and last phase.

For Punjab the election notification would be issued on 18th of January 2007 while for Uttaranchal the same exercise would be repeated on January 25. Last date for filing the nominations for the two states of Punjab and Uttaranchal have been fixed for 25th of January and Feburary 1, 2007.

Candidates wishing to withdraw their names could do so till January 29 in Punjab and Feburary 5, 2007.

Gopalaswamy refused to answer questions about the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh [Images]. "I am not talking about UP right now. We would talk about Uttar Pradesh when we come to it," he said.