Northeast Desk, 17th March: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced a revision to the election calendar for the legislative assembly elections of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. The key change involves advancing the date of vote counting from June 4 to June 2, aligning with constitutional mandates as the term of both state assemblies concludes on June 2.
Citing constitutional obligations under Article 324, Article 172(1) of the Constitution of India, and Section 15 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the ECI emphasized the need to conduct elections before the expiration of the respective assembly terms. Consequently, the poll body has adjusted the previously announced election schedule to adhere to these legal requirements.
While the modification pertains solely to the counting of votes for the assembly elections, the ECI clarified that there will be no alterations to the schedule for the parliamentary constituencies of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.
The ECI had initially unveiled the electoral roadmap on Saturday, encompassing the much-anticipated Lok Sabha elections along with assembly polls in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh. The parliamentary elections, spanning 543 constituencies, are slated in seven phases, commencing on April 19 and concluding on June 1.
Phase-wise polling for the Lok Sabha will unfold as follows: April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1. Concurrently, the assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim are scheduled for April 19, coinciding with the first phase of Lok Sabha polling, while Andhra Pradesh will vote on May 13. Odisha’s assembly polls will span four phases on May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1.
The announcement of results for the Lok Sabha elections and the assembly polls in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh is slated for June 4.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar disclosed that a staggering 96.8 crore voters are eligible to participate in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The electoral apparatus will deploy approximately 10.5 lakh polling stations, along with 1.5 crore polling officials and security personnel. A fleet of 55 lakh Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will be utilized to facilitate the electoral process.
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