Election Commission To Announce Lok Sabha Poll Dates Today

The Election Commission of India (ECI) will announce the dates of the upcoming Lok Sabha general elections 2024 at 3 pm on Saturday, a statement from ECI Spokesperson said. Additionally, the ECI will also disclose the dates for Assembly elections in certain states.

The announcement of the election dates will take place during a press conference on Saturday at 3 pm.

According to a statement from ECI Spokesperson on X, "Press Conference by Election Commission to announce the schedule for #GeneralElections2024 and some State Assemblies will be held at 3 pm tomorrow ie Saturday, 16th March. It will be live streamed on social media platforms of the ECI".

Earlier in 2019, the Lok Sabha elections took place over a span of seven phases, starting from April 11 and ending on May 19. The final results were announced on May 23.

During the elections, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), secured a significant victory by winning a total of 303 seats. In contrast, the opposing party, which has a long-standing history, only managed to secure 52 seats.

On Wednesday, Rajiv Kumar, the Chief Election Commissioner, stated that the poll commission would assess the security situation before deciding on whether to hold the Lok Sabha Elections and Assembly Elections in Jammu and Kashmir concurrently or separately.

Political parties have started the process of declaring their candidates for the upcoming general elections. The BJP has currently disclosed two lists of candidates, while the Congress has also revealed two lists of candidates for the electoral contest.

Meanwhile, on March 14, the Election Commission published information about electoral bonds on its website, which was provided by SBI. Future Gaming and Hotel Services and Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Ltd were among the leading contributors to political parties.

Several petitions were submitted to the highest court contesting the modifications made to various laws via the Finance Act of 2017 and Finance Act of 2016. The main argument put forth was that these amendments have paved the way for unrestricted and unregulated financial support for political parties.

Also Read: Electoral Bonds: Election Commission Discloses Full List From SBI