LS election: Voting from April 19 to June 1 in 7 phases, results on June 4
THE NEWS FREEDOM
NEW DELHI, MARCH 16
Voting for 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab, four in Himachal and one in Chandigarh will be held in the last phase, on June 1, the Chief Election Commissioner, Rajiv Kumar, announced on Saturday. The voting for 10 Haryana Lok Sabha seats will be held in the sixth phase, on May 25.
Giving details about the Lok Sabha elections to be held across India, the Chief Election Commissioner announced the schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, set to be conducted in seven phases. “The polling will commence on April 19 and conclude on June 1, with counting of votes for all 543 Lok Sabha seats scheduled for June 4. With an estimated 96.8 crore eligible voters, including 47.1 crore women, this election is anticipated to be the world’s largest democratic exercise,” he said. Additionally, the Chief Election Commissioner also informed that simultaneous byelections for six assembly seats in Himachal Pradesh and one in Haryana are scheduled alongside the Lok Sabha elections. Notably, the byelection for Haryana’s Karnal assembly seat, left vacant after former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s resignation as MLA earlier this week, will also take place on May 25.
After the election announcement, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) was also imposed and now the political parties, candidates, and governmental bodies operate within the prescribed guidelines set forth by the Election Commission of India (ECI). This includes adherence to regulations governing speeches, announcements, election manifestos, and other pertinent activities.
The announcement of the Lok Sabha election date follows swiftly on the heels of the recent appointments of two new Election Commissioners, Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu. Their ascension to the Election Commission comes in the wake of Arun Goel’s unexpected resignation last week and the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey on February 14.
Following the declaration of the election dates, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed confidence in the BJP-NDA coalition’s readiness for the electoral contest. Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, the Prime Minister said, “The biggest festival of democracy is here! EC has announced the 2024 Lok Sabha election dates and We, the BJP-NDA, are fully prepared for elections.” He underscored their campaign’s focal point on a track record of effective governance and service delivery across sectors.
Looking forward, Prime Minister Modi articulated his vision for the next five years, emphasizing a collective commitment to chart a course that would guide India’s trajectory for the foreseeable future. He articulated his aspiration for India to emerge as a symbol of prosperity, comprehensive growth, and global leadership.
Expressing gratitude for the support received, particularly from marginalized communities, farmers, youth, and women, Prime Minister Modi asserted, “This is the era to make it happen, and together we will.”
All 13 constituencies of Punjab involved in this phase include Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Khadoor Sahib, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Anandpur Sahib, Ludhiana, Fatehgarh Sahib, Faridkot, Firozpur, Bathinda, Sangrur, and Patiala.
Punjab is gearing up for a multi-cornered contest in the upcoming elections, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) vying for seats. Both the ruling AAP and Congress, part of the opposition bloc INDIA, are contesting separately in Punjab, confident in their chances across all 13 seats.
Read all details of Lok Sabha elections hereREAD ALL DETAILS OF LOK SABHA ELECTIONS
Watch LIVE : Press Conference by Election Commission to announce schedule for General Elections 2024 to Lok Sabha & State Assemblies https://t.co/M8MRkdUdod
— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) March 16, 2024