New Delhi: The Election Commission of India announced today, in a statement released at 3 pm on X (formerly Twitter), that the dates for the 2024 Lok Sabha election will be disclosed. Alongside this, the commission will also unveil the dates for four Assembly elections expected to take place concurrently. The implementation of the Model Code of Conduct will commence immediately upon the announcement of these dates. It’s worth noting that the 2019 election spanned seven phases from April 11 to May 19, with results declared four days thereafter.
The upcoming elections are anticipated to occur in Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Sikkim, while Maharashtra, Haryana, and Jharkhand are slated for later in the year. Additionally, Jammu and Kashmir, as well as Ladakh, are preparing for elections in accordance with a Supreme Court directive mandating Assembly polls by September 30, as a preliminary step toward reinstating statehood.
Press Conference by Election Commission to announce schedule for #GeneralElections2024 & some State Assemblies will be held at 3 pm tomorrow ie Saturday, 16th March. It will livestreamed on social media platforms of the ECI pic.twitter.com/1vlWZsLRzt
— Spokesperson ECI (@SpokespersonECI) March 15, 2024
In an unprecedented move, the Election Commission has provided a 24-hour notice for a press conference to announce voting schedules, polling phases, and related details, including security arrangements in regions where post-election violence or encounters with Maoist or insurgent groups may pose concerns. The ruling party in West Bengal, Trinamool, has already advocated for a single-phase election in the state’s 42 constituencies and urged for the deployment of central security forces without intimidating voters.
The timing of the ECI’s announcement coincides with the recent appointment of two new Election Commissioners, following the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey in February and the unexpected resignation of Arun Goel last week. Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, both former IAS officers, have been appointed to the commission, a decision that has been contested by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), a non-partisan organization focused on electoral and political reforms. ADR had sought a stay on these appointments, alleging the exclusion of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud from the selection panel.
The Supreme Court, which was reviewing the petition at the time of the ECI’s announcement, declined to grant a stay on the appointments of Kumar and Sandhu, scheduling further hearings for March 21. Currently, Election Commissioners are appointed by the President based on recommendations from a panel chaired by the Prime Minister, including a Union Minister and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, presently held by Congress’ Adhir Chowdhury.
Notably, in March 2023, the Supreme Court had suggested a revised panel composition that included the Chief Justice instead of a Union Minister. However, a subsequent order specified that the existing arrangement would persist until legislation dictated otherwise. In December, the government enacted legislation introducing a new mechanism, replacing the Chief Justice with a Union Minister for the appointment of all or any of the three election commissioners.
Rajiv Kumar currently heads the Election Commission as the Chief Election Commissioner.
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