CM to Urge ECI to Schedule LS Polls Before Rongali Bihu in Assam

Amid reports that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has tentatively set the Poll Day as April 16, 2024 for reference and to calculate Start and End dates in the Election Planner, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has stated that he will request the commission to schedule the Lok Sabha polls in Assam before Rongali Bihu, i.e. before April 14, 2024.

"Normally, elections in Assam end before the Rongali Bihu. However, I will suggest that the ECI hold Lok Sabha elections in Assam before Rongali Bihu so that the people here can enjoy the festival with joy," the chief minister told reporters on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Delhi, on Tuesday dismissed the reports that Lok Sabha election will be held on April 16.

The reports were based on a circular from the office of the CEO to the 11 District Election Officers (DEOs), which tentatively set the date for the Lok Sabha elections on April 16, 2024.

The circular said that the Election Commission of India had “tentatively set April 16, 2024, as the Poll Day”. However, the CEO later said that it was for the purpose of reference and to calculate start and end dates in the Election Planner.

The circular was titled ‘Compliance/adhering to timelines given in Election Planner of Election Commission of India’.

Later, the Delhi CEO’s office clarified via a post on X, stressing the date on for reference.

The purpose of the circular is to provide a ‘reference’ for officials to calculate the start and end dates in the Election Planner, it said.

“Some media queries are coming referring to a circular by @CeodelhiOffice to clarify whether 16.04.2024 is tentative poll day for #LSElections2024 It is clarified that this date was mentioned only for ‘reference’for officials to plan activities as per Election Planner of ECI,” CEO, Delhi Office, said in a post on X.

Press Note (Clarification)@ECISVEEP pic.twitter.com/gVhSySeVg5

— CEO, Delhi Office (@CeodelhiOffice) January 23, 2024

India is headed for the next Lok Sabha elections in April and May, with the exact date yet to be confirmed. The 2019 election was held over seven phases, starting on April 11 and ending on May 19, and the results were declared on May 23.

The election schedule was announced by the Election Commission of India on March 10, 2019.

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