Lok Sabha Elections 2024: As the country gears up for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is currently engaged in assessing the readiness across various states. Reports suggest that the official announcement of the election schedule is anticipated after March 13, with media speculating that the announcement could come around March 15.Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Expected phases and voting timelineSources indicate that the Lok Sabha elections are likely to be conducted in 7-8 phases, with voting for the initial phase projected to commence by the first week of April. Notably, the Chief Election Commissioner is scheduled to tour Jammu and Kashmir on March 13, potentially setting the stage for the announcement.Lok Sabha Elections 2024: ECIs review visits across statesECI officials are currently on a series of visits to different states to evaluate the state of poll preparedness. Presently, the officials are in Tamil Nadu and are slated to proceed to Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. These review visits are expected to conclude before March 13, aligning with the timeline for the potential announcement of the election schedule.Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Previous election timeline and eligible votersIn the preceding 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the ECI unveiled the election dates on March 10, initiating a process that spanned seven phases between April 11 and May 19. The culmination of the electoral process occurred on May 23 with the counting of votes and result declaration.In 2019, over 912 million individuals were eligible to vote, with voter turnout exceeding 67%. This year, the eligible voter count stands at approximately 970 million, according to ECI projections. Moreover, states like Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Sikkim are set to witness concurrent Lok Sabha and state assembly elections.
