The Election Commission of India is expected to unveil the dates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections post-March 13, with active preparations and state visits underway for the 2024 polls, including assessments of the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) is expected to announce the Lok Sabha election dates after March 13, with the polls anticipated to occur in April and May. As part of the ongoing preparations for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and concurrent Assembly polls in select states, a team of ECI officials is currently engaged in successive visits to these regions.
ECI representatives are meeting government officials to discuss the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir and the availability of forces between March 8-9, as reported by News18. Further, a visit to Jammu and Kashmir is scheduled for March 12-13 to evaluate the ground situation, determining the feasibility of conducting Assembly polls alongside Lok Sabha elections based on the availability of forces.
In 2019, the ECI declared Lok Sabha election dates on March 10, with polling held across seven phases from April 11 to May 19. Results were declared on May 23.
Notably, around 970 million people are eligible to vote this year, marking an increase from the 2019 figure of 912 million.
States like Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Sikkim are gearing up for simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly polls.