The Election Commission is poised to announce the dates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on Saturday at 3 pm, along with Assembly poll schedules for select states. With the current Lok Sabha's tenure nearing its conclusion on June 16th, the ECI is tasked with ensuring the formation of a new House before this deadline. As soon as the dates are unveiled, the Model Code of Conduct will be enforced, setting guidelines for political parties during the electoral process.
Over 97 crore eligible voters across the nation are gearing up to cast their votes at more than 12 lakh polling stations. The election commission has conducted thorough reviews of preparations in all states ahead of the announcement.
In what is perceived as a crucial electoral battle, the BJP aims to secure 400 seats for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and 370 seats for the party alone. Meanwhile, the Opposition, under the banner of the INDIA bloc in several states, sees this as a pivotal contest. Major parties have begun announcing candidates for the Lok Sabha polls, with ongoing discussions regarding seat allocations.
In the 2019 elections, the BJP emerged victorious with 303 seats, while the Congress secured 52 seats, falling short of claiming the Leader of the Opposition position in the Lok Sabha. The 2019 elections, announced on March 10th, were conducted in seven phases.
States such as Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha are expected to hold their assembly elections concurrently with the national polls, as their terms are set to expire on various dates in June. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar stated earlier this week that the poll body would assess the security situation before deciding on Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.