First Time: 24-hour Notice For Poll Dates Announcement

The Election Commission of India (ECI) will announce the dates for the much-awaited Lok Sabha elections at a press conference at 3 pm tomorrow. The ECI posted a brief statement on X (formerly Twitter) that said dates for four Assembly polls -scheduled to be held around the same time -would also be released. The Model Code of Conduct will come into force from the time the dates are announced.

The four states expected to vote in April/May are Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Sikkim, with Maharashtra, Haryana, and Jharkhand scheduled to vote later this year.

In a first, the poll panel has given 24-hour notice of a press conference to announce voting dates, polling phases, and other details, including deployment of security personnel in states where post-poll violence and clashes with Maoist or rebel forces is a factor that needs to be considered.

The ECI's pre-announcement comes a day after two new Election Commissioners were inducted, after the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey in February and Arun Goel's surprise resignation last week. Former IAS officers Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu have been named to the panel.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA)-led by the BJP, is looking for a third straight victory in the Lok Sabha elections, as the Congress-led INDIA alliance hopes to put up a strong fight.