The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the dates for Lok Sabha and some state Assembly elections on Saturday. Chief Elections Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar said that the elections for the 18th Lok Sabha will be held in seven phases. The elections will start on April 19 and counting will be held on June 4.
Nearly 97 crore voters will be eligible to vote for 543 Lok Sabha constituencies across the country. With the announcement of dates the moral code of conduct comes into force immediately. Along with national elections, Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim. Arunachal, Odisha and Jammu and Kashmir to be held.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, alongside Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, held a press conference to reveal the dates of pollings for the 2024 Lok Sabha Election.
Lok Sabha Election 2024 schedule
Key Highlights from Election Commission's press conference
CEC Kumar emphasisesed every election as a sacred responsibility entrusted by Constitution which ECI takes up with humility and diligence, leaving no room for complacency. Commitment to fair and transparent elections remains steadfast.
97 registered voters in India
10.5 lakh polling stations
1.5 crore polling officials and security staff
55 lakh EVMs
4 lakh vehicles
Elections conducted:
17 General Elections
400+ State Assembly Elections
16 Presidential Elections
16 Vice President Electons
CEC Rajiv Kumar outlined the significant hurdles in ensuring transparent elections, encapsulated in what he termed the "4Ms": physical strength, financial resources, dissemination of false information, and breaches of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). He stated that ECI is committed and has put in place measures to deal with these disruptive challenges.
Myth vs Reality
Voters | ECI
2019 Lok Sabha result
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP secured a landslide victory, winning a clear majority with 303 seats out of 543. Their alliance, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), clinched a total of 353 seats, reaffirming Narendra Modi as Prime Minister for a second consecutive term. The opposition Indian National Congress suffered a significant setback, managing to secure only 52 seats.
Performance of national parties in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections
| PARTY NAME | CONTESTED |
| All India Trinamool Congress | 62 |
| Bahujan Samaj Party | 383 |
| Bharatiya Janata Party | 436 |
| Communist Party of India | 49 |
| Communist Party of India (Marxist) | 69 |
| Indian National Congress | 421 |
| Nationalist Congress Party | 34 |
