Sunday, January 9 2005 11:00 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The formal process for a crucial round of assembly elections next month in Haryana, Bihar and Jharkhand will be set in motion tomorrow (Jan 10, 2005) with the issue of notifications marking the beginning of filing of nominations.

The Governors of these States will issue the notifications in the Gazette starting the process.

It will be a one-day poll on February 3 in Haryana for the election to 90-member Assembly.

In sensitive Bihar and Jharkhand, elections will be held in three phases on February 3, 15 and 23. Tomorrow's notifications in Bihar and Jharkhand will cover the constituencies that will go to polls in the first phase.

For the first phase of polling, the last date for filing nominations is January 17 and the scrutiny will take place the next day. The last date for withdrawal of candidatures is January 20 and counting of votes in all the States will be taken up on February 27.

The terms of Bihar and Jharkhand Assemblies are scheduled to expire on March 6 and in Haryana on March 8. This will be the first Assembly elections in Jharkhand which became a State in 2000.

The election notifications for the second and third phases of polling in Bihar and Jharkhand will be issued on January 20 and 29.