The Election Commission today announced the election schedule for Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur.

While Manipur, which has a 60-member assembly, will go to polls on January 28, the 403- member UP assembly will have its first phase of polls on Feb 4 and the last phase on Feb 28.  The polls in UP will be held in seven phases and the other four states will have one day polling.

Uttarakhand and the 117-member Punjab Assembly will go to polls on January 30 and the 40-member Goa assembly on March 3.

The schedule was announced after the Commission members held discussions with the Home Secretary R.K. Singh on the availability of paramilitary forces for the Assembly polls in the five States.

Singh has promised to make available around 80,000 paramilitary personnel to protect law and order during the poll process.

The Election Commission has announced that voting machines would be used for voting purposes in all the five states and its machinery would keep a watch on the expenditure spent by the candidates.

Counting of votes will be taken up in all five states on March 4(JUBS)