The four states are going to vote in April or May...
New Delhi: The Election Commission of India said on Friday, 15 March 2024, that Dates for the Lok Sabha election 2024 will be announced at 3 pm on Saturday.
The ECI posted a brief statement on X that dates for four Assembly polls - scheduled to be held around the same time - would also be released.
The Model Code of Conduct will come into force when the dates are announced. The 2019 election was held over seven phases from April 11 to April 19, with results declared four days later.
The four states that are likely to vote in April/May are Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Sikkim, with Maharashtra, Haryana, and Jharkhand scheduled to vote later this year.
Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, are also prepared to vote, in line with an SC order directing the conduct of Assembly polls by September 30 as the first step towards restoration of statehood.
First, the poll panel has given 24-hour notice of a press conference to announce voting dates, polling phases, and other details, including deployment of security personnel in states where post-poll violence and clashes with Maoist or rebel forces are a factor that needs to be considered.
Bengal's ruling Trinamool has already underlined its position, calling for a single-phase election for the state's 42 seats and demanding central security forces not "threaten voters".
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