Lok Sabha poll schedule likely to be announced after March 13: Report

Currently, Election Commission of India (ECI) officials are undertaking visits to various states to review poll preparedness.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is likely to release dates for the Lok Sabha elections after March 13, according to a report in India Today.

The Election Commission of India. (File photo)

It must be noted that officials of the central poll panel are currently undertaking visits to various states to review poll preparedness. Currently, they are in Tamil Nadu, after which they will go to Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir.

These visits are scheduled to be completed before March 13, the report stated. The poll schedule, therefore, is likely to be announced on or after the said date.

For the previous 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the ECI declared dates on March 10 that year. The polling to elect representatives to the 543-seat Lok Sabha was held across seven phases, between April 11 and May 19 (both dates included). The counting of votes and result declaration took place on May 23.

Additionally, in 2019, around 912 million (91.2 crore) people were eligible to vote, of whom more than 67% exercised their right to franchise. This year, around 970 million (97 crore) people are eligible to poll, as per ECI data.

Also, states such as Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Sikkim, will hold simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly polls.