The Election Commission (EC) has officially announced the dates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, with Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar addressing the media on Saturday to unveil the details.
According to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, the polling for Lok Sabha seats will be conducted from April 19 to June 1 across multiple phases. The counting of votes is scheduled for June 4.
States expected to vote in April/May include Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Sikkim, while Maharashtra, Haryana, and Jharkhand are scheduled for later this year. Additionally, in compliance with a Supreme Court directive, Jammu Kashmir, and Ladakh will participate in Assembly polls by September 30, marking the initial step towards reinstating statehood.
In the fourth phase, voting will take place across 10 states and Union Territories on May 13, 2024. The states included in this phase are Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, among others.
A comparison of the phased Lok Sabha elections shows variations across different years. In the 2019 general elections, Bihar, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh underwent polling in seven phases each. In 2014, Bihar witnessed six phases, West Bengal five, and Uttar Pradesh six phases. Similarly, in the 2009 elections, Bihar had four phases, West Bengal three, and Uttar Pradesh five phases. In the 2004 elections, Bihar experienced three phases, West Bengal one, and Uttar Pradesh three.
As the stage is set for the upcoming elections, the 2024 parliamentary polls are seen as a crucial battle, particularly for the opposition I.N.D.I.A. bloc. According to recent opinion polls conducted by ABP-CVoter, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is expected to secure a significant victory. The projections suggest a considerable swing in votes since the 2019 Lok Sabha results, with the BJP witnessing a positive swing of 3.08 per cent, and the I.N.D.I.A. bloc (previously UPA) observing a rise of 2.5 per cent.
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