While Uttar Pradesh will go for a seven-phase election, the other states will have one phase each.
The elections in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 4, 8, 11, 15, 19, 23 and 28 while the polling will be done in Punjab and Uttarakhand on January 30.
Meanwhile, Manipur will be the first to vote on January 28 whereas the elections in Goa will be held on March 3.
The counting in all the states will be done on March 4.
Announcing the schedule for the elections, Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi said that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) would be used in all polling booths, adding that photo identity cards for would be mandatory for all the voters.
He further said that the Income Tax department would monitor the electoral expense by all the political parties and candidates. The candidates will have to open a new bank account from which they will manage the expense during campaigns.
According to the CEC, monetary committees would be established to deal with the issue of paid news.
Model code of conduct has been put in place with immediate effect.
Around 80,000 paramilitary personnel, apart from state policemen, are expected to be deployed during the Assembly polls.
The Congress has been hoping of putting up a good show in Uttar Pradesh where it has been out of power for over two decades. Congress General Secretary and Amethi MP Rahul Gandhi has been hoping to capitalise on his party's surprisingly good show during the 2009 Lok Sabha elections and trying to revive his party in the state.
The battle for Uttar Pradesh
It will be a four-cornered contest in Uttar Pradesh with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the race.
The Uttar Pradesh poll will be a decisive election for Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi and is likely to impact the Congress strategy for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
The future of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati and her Dalit politics is also at stake and it will be her first real stiff test at re-election.
While Mulayam Singh and the Samajwadi Party are battling for political relevance, the BJP is battling for significance in a state which fuelled their first stint at the Centre.
The battle for Punjab
The battle for Punjab is a straight fight with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) - BJP alliance contesting elections against the Congress.
In Punjab polls, it will be a direct face-off between Congress' Amarinder Singh and Shiromani Akali Dal's (SAD) Sukhbir Singh Badal. The ruling SAD alliance has been battling allegations of corruption, farmers' issues and unemployment.
Sukhbir Badal's cousin, Manpreet Singh, has been attempting to provide a third alternative in the state.
It is also possibly the last electoral fight for Parkash Singh Badal, one of India's oldest politicians.
The battle for Goa
In Goa, it will be a face off between the Congress and the BJP.
It is a crucial poll for Goa as the Digamber Kamat government has been battling allegations of corruption. Mining and environment are likely to feature as key electoral issues.
Massive use of money power can also impact results in one of India's smallest states.
Language identity and communalism is likely to impact campaigning in Goa.
The battle for Uttarakhand
The battle for Uttarakhand will also be a straight fight for the Congress and the BJP.
Corruption will be the major poll issue in Uttarakhand. The poll will also be a test of the on ground impact of yoga guru Baba Ramdev's anti-graft movement.
It remains to be seen whether Khanduri's ploy of Team Anna enacted Lokayukta Bill can help the BJP gain ground and whether the Congress can repeat its impressive Lok Sabha performance.
The poll will determine whether delimitation will help the Congress more than the BJP.
The battle for Manipur
The battle for Manipur is also going to be a straight fight between the Congress and the Manipur People's Party (in alliance with other parties).
The voters' anger over the unprecedented economic blockade in Manipur is expected to play out in the campaigns.
It is a test of whether issues likes AFSPA removal, human rights violations will impact the poll outcome.
It remains to be seen whether the Congress will gain by default, with a totally scattered opposition in fray.
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