Patna March 17 (IANS): The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced on Saturday that the Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases in Bihar from April 19 to June 1, while the counting of votes will be taken up on June 4.

Addressing mediapersons here, H.R. Srinivasa, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Bihar, said that four seats -- Aurangabad, Gaya (SC), Nawada, and Jamui (SC) -- will go to the polls in the first phase on April 19, while polling will be held in Kishanganj, Katihar, Purnea, Bhagalpur, and Banka in the second phase on April 26.

In the third phase, elections will be held in five seats -- Jhanjharpur, Supaul, Araria, Madhepura, and Khagaria -- on May 7, followed by the fourth phase of polling in Darbhanga, Ujiyarpur, Samastipur (SC), Begusarai, and Munger on May 13.

In the fifth phase on May 20, Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Muzaffarpur, Saran, and Hajipur (SC) will go to the polls.

On May 25, polling will be held in eight seats in the sixth phase -- Valmikinagar, Paschim Champaran, Purvi Champaran, Sheohar, Vaishali, Gopalganj (SC), Siwan, and Maharajganj.

In the seventh phase, Nalanda, Patna Sahib, Patliputra, Arrah, Buxar, Sasaram, Karakat, and Jahanabad will go to the polls on June 1.