LS elections 2024: Election Commission to announce poll dates tomorrow

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India will announce the poll dates for the Lok Sabha elections 2024 on Saturday a spokesperson of the poll body said on Friday. The EC will also announce the Assembly election dates for some states. The dates for the polls will be announced at a press conference scheduled for Saturday at 3 PM.

In a message on X, a spokesperson of the ECI said, "Press Conference by Election Commission to announce the schedule for #GeneralElections2024 & some State Assemblies will be held at 3 pm tomorrow ie Saturday, 16th March. It will be live streamed on social media platforms of the ECI". The 2019 Lok Sabha elections were held in seven phases from April 11 to May 19.

Earlier on Wednesday, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said that the poll body will decide on holding Lok Sabha Elections and Assembly Elections together or separately in Jammu and Kashmir after reviewing the security situation. The long wait for Jammu and Kashmir seems to have come to an end as the Election Commission of India (ECI) is considering holding simultaneous assembly and Lok Sabha polls. Political parties have already begun announcing their candidates for the general elections. BJP has so far released two lists of candidates. Congress has also released two lists of candidates for the polls.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission on March 14 uploaded data on electoral bonds on its website as received from SBI. Future Gaming and Hotel Services and Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Ltd were among the top donors to political parties. Various petitions were filed before the top court challenging amendments made to different statutes through the Finance Act 2017 and Finance Act 2016 on the ground that they have opened doors to unlimited, unchecked funding of political parties.