The Election Commission is bracing up right from now for a hectic and crucial 2012 when it has to handle elections of the new president and vice-president of India and conduct assembly elections in five states, including the all-important Uttar Pradesh.
The Uttar Pradesh elections may be spread over to seven phases to complete the process mid-May, while Punjab will have a two-phase polls.
Even while busy with the elections in UP and the other two states, the Election Commission will get busy with the election of the new president, which is expected in mid-June.
Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quershi and his two colleague election commissioners have already started visiting the states going to polls in 2012.
They have completed one trip each to Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Manipur. The commission plans a visit to Goa in the third week of August to assess the poll preparations.
