Elections scheduled for several Indian states in early 2012

Dec 25, 2011, 7:51 GMT

New Delhi - Elections were scheduled to take place in five Indian states between January and March, reports said Sunday.

The polling for the states with a total electorate of 126 million will begin on January 28 and continue through March 3, the Election Commission announced Saturday evening, the Hindu daily reported.

Elections in the most-populous state of Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases. Uttarkhand, Manipur, Goa and Punjab will have single-phase elections. Counting has been scheduled for March 4.

The elections are important for the Indian National Congress-led coalition that leads the federal government. The next national electons are slated for 2014.

The Congress party was re-elected in 2009 but its credibility has suffered after a series of corruption scandals arose.

The polls are also a litmus test for Rahul Gandhi, the heir of the powerful Gandhi dynasty and tipped as a future prime minister, who has led the Congress' campaign in Uttar Pradesh.

Around 80,000 paramilitary forces, apart from state policemen, are expected to be deployed during the state polls.