New Delhi: Indicating four-phase Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission today (Feb 20, 2004) said the schedule would be announced "very soon" after taking into account factors like board examinations, festivals, weather conditions and the harvesting season.

"Broadly, it (polling) will be in four phases," EC spokesman A N Jha said while briefing reporters after a four-hour all-party meeting the Commission had convened to elicit views of political leaders in the run-up to the elections.

About the poll schedule, he said at the "appropriate time" the Commission would make public "such a critical announcement".

Asked whether Karnataka, where the Government has recommended dissolution of the Assembly on Feb 23, would have simultaneous polls, Jha said the State Government had already informed its intention for the dissolution of the Assembly and "obviously there will be simultaneous polls. We have taken that also into account".

Jha said that the EC would use Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for the Lok Sabha as well as the Assembly polls where they were going to be held simultaneously and would deploy 10.75 lakh EVMs for the purpose.

The Commission, which has also held consultations with State Chief Secretaries, Directors General of Police and Chief Electoral Officers as well as the Union Home Secretary Anil Baijal, would work out the requirement of security forces for ensuring free and fair polls.