Lok Sabha election date to be announced tomorrow

New Delhi:

The Election Commission of India this afternoon said the dates for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections will be announced at 3 pm on Saturday. The ECI issued a brief statement on X (formerly Twitter) saying that the dates for the four parliamentary polls scheduled to be held around the same time will also be announced.

The model code of conduct will come into effect from the date of publication. The 2019 election was held in seven phases from April 11 to April 19, with the results announced four days later.

The four states expected to go to polls 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 will also go to polls in line with a Supreme Court order directing parliament to hold polls by September 30 as the first step towards restoration of statehood.

The Election Commission held a press conference to announce the election schedule #GeneralElections2024 Some state parliaments will be held at 3pm tomorrow, Saturday 16 March.It will be live streamed on ECI’s social media platforms pic.twitter.com/1vlWZsLRzt

— ECI Spokesperson (@SpokespersonECI) March 15, 2024

First, the polling team held a press conference with 24 hours’ notice to announce the polling date, voting phases and other details, including the deployment of security personnel in states where post-poll violence and clashes with Maoists or rebels occurred. Factors to consider.

2024 Lok Sabha Election Dates: The 2019 elections were held from April 11 to April 19 (Document).

Bengal’s ruling Trinamool party has stressed its stance, calling for single-phase elections to 42 seats in the state and asking central security forces not to “threaten/intimidate voters”.

Supreme Court Election Commissioner Case

The ECI announcement comes a day after two new election commissioners were inaugurated following Anup Chandra Pandey’s retirement in February and Arun Goel’s surprise resignation last week Advance announcement. Former IAS officers Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu have been appointed as members of the panel.

Read | Former bureaucrats Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Sandhu become new executive committee

The nominations of Mr Kumar and Mr Sandhu are being challenged by the Association for Democratic Reforms, a non-partisan group dedicated to electoral and political reform. The ADR also petitioned the Supreme Court on the electoral bonds issue, seeking a stay on the two appointments, challenging the decision to exclude Chief Justice DY Chandrachud from the selection panel.

The Supreme Court, which was hearing the petition at the time of the ECI’s tweet, refused to stay the appointments of Mr Kumar and Mr Sandhu and said the matter would be heard on March 21.

Read | Supreme Court refuses to stay appointment of executive members

Under current law, the Electoral Commissioner is appointed by the President on the advice of a three-member panel chaired by the Prime Minister. The panel also includes a federal minister and the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, currently Adil Chaudhry of the Congress party.

However, the Supreme Court said in March 2023 that the panel should consist of the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition and the Chief Justice. However, in an addendum seen by many as giving the government an opportunity, the court said the order would remain in effect until a law was passed providing otherwise.

Read | Supreme Court’s massive order on EC appointment

In December, the government passed a law creating a new mechanism – replacing the chief justice with a federal minister – to appoint all or any of the three electoral commissioners.

The poll panel was headed by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar.

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