March-16, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar today announced the dates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The election will be held in seven phases, starting on April 19th and ending on June 1st. Results will be announced on June 4th. The assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh will be held on May 13, Sikkim on April 19, Arunachal Pradesh on April 19 and Odisha on May 13. The Election Commission said in a press conference today that it is working to combat the 4Ms (muscle, money, misinformation, and MCC violations) that stand in the way of free and fair elections.
Approximately 97 million people are eligible to vote in the next election. Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said voters over 85 years of age can vote from home. He also said basic amenities such as drinking water and toilets will be available at all polling stations. The term of the current parliamentarians ends on June 16th, before which a new House of Representatives must be established. The terms of the four state legislatures also end in June.
In the last general election, the Bharatiya Janata Party, which is seeking its third consecutive term. BJP won 303 seats, and the Congress won 52 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha Election. The upcoming elections are crucial for India’s opposition coalition.