CEC Nasim Zaidi on Presidential election 2017: Polling will be held on July 17, counting on July 20 | Here's all about important dates

The Presidential polls will be held in July, which will be followed by elections for the post of Vice President in the same month, according to the Election Commision of India.

Here's excerpts from the CEC's press Conference in New Delhi

# Term of President Pranab Mukherjee will end on 24 July: CEC Nasim Zaidi

# ECI is taking all necessary steps to ensure free and fair elections to the office of President of India: CEC

# Polls for Vice President to be held next month: CEC Naseem Zaidi

# The Presidential election to be conducted via secret ballot: EC

# Article 53 provides Presidential Election shall be held in accordance with proportional representation: CEC

# Notification for the President poll will be issued on June 14: CEC

# Day of notification of nomination is June 20: CEC

# June 28 is the last date for making nominations for Presidential Elections: CEC

# Last date of Scrutiny of nomination paper: June 29

# Any violation of Voting Procedures will entail cancellation of ballot paper: CEC

# July 1 is the last date for the withdrawal of candidature: CEC

# Polling day: July 17

# Counting day: July 20

President Pranab Mukherjee is completing his tenure on July 24, while Vice President Hamid Ansari's second term ends on August 10.

Though no consensus has emerged on the name, the parties are working on it.

Among some prominent names doing the rounds are Gopal Krishan Gandhi, Sharad Yadav and Sharad Pawar, besides Meira Kumar. Sharad Pawar has, however, announced that he is not in the race.

There is also talk of a second term for incumbent Pranab Mukherjee, as proposed by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, but that may not happen till the ruling dispensation proposes his name.