Lok Sabha election dates likely to be announced around March 14: report

The Election Commission of India is reportedly expected to announce the dates for the Lok Sabha elections around March 14.

Sources quoted by NDTV said that the poll body may declare the poll schedule after visiting Jammu and Kashmir from March 11.

The Elections Commission will be in the union territory till Wednesday to assess the situation to hold elections.

The general elections are expected to be held in April and May. Ruling BJP and main Opposition Congress have released their first lists of candidates.

Some of the members of the Opposition's INDIA bloc have finalised seat-sharing deals, while consensus is yet to be achieved in many states.

Congress has sealed pacts with DMK and Aam Aadmi Party. BJP is also stitching alliances ahead of the polls. It has taken TDP back in the NDA fold.

Meanwhile, in a shock move, Election Commissioner Arun Goel resigned on Saturday, days before the expected announcement of the schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

His tenure was till December 5, 2027, and he would have become Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) after incumbent Rajiv Kumar retired in February next year.

Opposition parties, including Congress and TMC, have questioned Goel's sudden resignation.

In a post on X, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, "Election Commission or Election OMISSION? India now has only one Election Commissioner, even as Lok Sabha elections are to be announced in few days. Why?" "As I have said earlier, if we do not stop the systematic decimation of our independent institutions, our democracy shall be usurped by dictatorship!" he said.

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