ECI announces schedule for 2024 polls; Check key dates

Bhubaneswar: The Election Commission of India (ECI) today announced the schedule for the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in the country.

As many as 96.8 crore voters will exercise their franchise at 10.5 lakh polling stations across the country for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The ECI will also simultaneously conduct Assembly polls in four states—Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.

As many as 1.5 crore polling officials and security personnel will be deployed for the smooth conduct of the polls. The voting will be conducted through 55 lakh EVMs.

As per the ECI data, the country has 49.7 crore male voters and 47.1 crore female voters. At least 1.8 crore first-time voters will exercise their franchise in 2024 elections.

According to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India Rajiv Kumar, each and every polling station in the country will have drinking water and toilet facility. Besides, there will be special facilities differently-abled voters.

The Lok Sabha polls will be conducted in 7 phases across the country. The polling will be conducted on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1.

The Assembly elections in Odisha will be held in four phases. The polling will be held on May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1.

The counting will be done on June 4, said the CEC at a presser in New Delhi today.

According to the ECI, as many as 102 Lok Sabha seats will go for polls in the first phase on April 19, 89 seats in second phase on April 26, 94 seats in third phase on May 7, 96 segments in fourth phase on May 13, 49 seats in fifth phase on May 20, 57 seats in sixth phase on May 25 and equal number of segments in the seventh phase on June 1.

With the announcement of the poll schedule, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into immediate effect, said the ECI.