General Election 2024 Dates Live Updates: April 19, 26, May 7, 13, 20, 25, June 1, Counting on June 4

New Delhi: Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar announced the dates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections today. The polls will be held in 7 phases, beginning from April 19 and ending on June 1. The results will be declared on June 4. No simultaneous polls will be held, he said. The assembly polls for Andhra Pradesh will be on May 13, Sikkim on April 19, Arunachal Pradesh on April 19, and Odisha will be held on May 13. In a press conference today,  the Election Commission said it is working towards combating the 4Ms (muscle, money, misinformation, and MCC violations) that hinder the path to free and fair elections.

Around 97 crore people are eligible to vote in the upcoming polls. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said that voters older than 85 years of age will be allowed to vote from home. He also said that minimum basic facilities like drinking water and toilets will be made available at all polling booths. The tenure of the present Lok Sabha ends on June 16 and a new House will have to be constituted before that. The tenure of the four state assemblies will also end in June. 
In the last parliamentary polls, the BJP, seeking a third consecutive term this time, won 303 seats, while the Congress got 52 seats. The upcoming polls are extremely crucial for the Opposition bloc INDIA, fighting to stop the BJP's run.

Elections 2024: "7 Phases Necesary For Polls Because...": Poll Body Chief
Seven phases necessary keeping in mind geographic conditions, festivals, exams and other factors: Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Lok Sabha poll schedule.

Elections 2024: Here Is The Schedule For Lok Sabha Elections 2024

Mar 16, 2024 15:59 (IST)
Election Date Live: Lok Sabha Poll Schedule Released
Phase 1 voting on April 19

Phase 2 voting on April 26

Phase 3 voting on May 7

Phase 4 voting on May 13

Phase 5 voting on May 20

Phase 6 voting on May 25

Phase 7 voting on June 1

RESULTS: JUNE 4

Mar 16, 2024 15:55 (IST)
BREAKING: Phase 2 Of Polls To Begin From April 26, Result June 4
 
Mar 16, 2024 15:54 (IST)
BREAKING: Lok Sabha Polls To Be Held In 7 Phases, Phase 1 On April 19, COuting June 4
The Lok Sabha Polls will begin from April 19 and counting will begin on June 4
Mar 16, 2024 15:52 (IST)
BREAKING: Lok Sabha Polls To Begin From April 19
 
Mar 16, 2024 15:51 (IST)
BREAKING: Schedule Of Assmebly Elections
Andhra Pradesh 

Election Date: May 13

Arunachal Pradesh

April 19

Sikkim

April 19

Odisha

Phase 1: May 13
Phase 2: May 20
Mar 16, 2024 15:48 (IST)
BREAKING: By Elections In 26 Constituencies

Mar 16, 2024 15:44 (IST)
Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Chief Election Commissioner On Combating Challenge Of '4Ms' In Polls
The use of money, muscle, misinformation and violation of model code of conduct are among the four big challenges or '4Ms' before the poll body, said the Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar.
Mar 16, 2024 15:44 (IST)
Lok Sabha Election Date Live: "Money Seizures Rose By 835%": Poll Body Chief
"Money seizures rose by 835% to ₹ 3,400 crore in last 11 state polls during 2022-23. We won't allow misuse of money power": Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar
Mar 16, 2024 15:41 (IST)
Elections 2024: Election Commission Issues Advisory To Political Parties

Mar 16, 2024 15:40 (IST)
Elections 2024: Election Commission's Advice To Avoid Misinformation
Steps being taken to avoid misinformation:

Social media outreach programs

Verify before you amplify

Political parties advised to ensure responsible Social Media behavior

Fake news to be dealt with severely as per extant laws

Section 79 (3)(B) of the IT Act empowers nodal officers in each state to remove unlawful content
Mar 16, 2024 15:36 (IST)
Lok Sabha Election Date Live: Explained: Election Commission's 4M Challenges

Mar 16, 2024 15:34 (IST)
Lok Sabha Election Date Live: "12 States Have More Female Than Male Voters": Chief Election Commissioner

Mar 16, 2024 15:31 (IST)
Elections 2024: Rise In Seizures In Last 11 State Assembly Elections

Mar 16, 2024 15:27 (IST)
Lok Sabha Election 2024: Women Voters' Participation Increasing In Polls, Says Election Commission
Women Voters' Participation Increasing In Polls, Says Election Commission
Mar 16, 2024 15:26 (IST)
Elections 2024: Poll Body Promises Basic Facilities At All Polling Stations
These facilities will be available at all polling stations:

Drinking Water
Toilets
Signage
Ramp/Wheelchair
Help Desk
Voter Facilitation Centre
Sufficient Light
Mar 16, 2024 15:20 (IST)
Elections 2024 Live Updates: India's Voters In Numbers
96.8 crore voters
49.7 crore male voters
47.1 crore women voters
1.8 crore first-time voters
88.4 lakh persons with disabilities
19.1 lakh service electors
82 lakh voter are 85+ years old
48,000 transgender voters
19.74 crore young voters (20-29 year olds)
2.18 crore centenarian voters
Mar 16, 2024 15:14 (IST)
Elections 2024, Lok Sabha Poll Dates Live: 97 Crore Registered Voters, 10.5 Crore Polling Stations In India
The Election Commission of India is today set to announce the dates for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Mar 16, 2024 15:14 (IST)
Election Date Live Updates: "2024 The Year Of Election Across The World": Poll Body Chief

Mar 16, 2024 15:12 (IST)
Elections 2024 In Numbers
India has 97 crore voters - more than some continents combined

1.5 crore polling officers and security forces

55 lakh EVMs

Over 10.5 lakh polling stations

17 general elections held so far

400 assembly elections held so far

Mar 16, 2024 15:09 (IST)
WATCH LIVE: Election Commission Announces Lok Sabha Election Dates

Mar 16, 2024 15:07 (IST)
Election Date Live: Chief Poll Officer Addresses The Press Conference
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar addresses the press conference.

Mar 16, 2024 15:04 (IST)
BREAKING | Elections 2024: Election Commission's Press Conference Begins
The Election Commission has begun its press conference and will announce the dates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections shortly.

Mar 16, 2024 14:58 (IST)
Elections 2024: West Bengal At Glance
Number of seats: 42

Big faces: Abhishek Banerjee, Shatrughan Sinha, Sukanta Majumdar

Key factors: CAA, Women's issues, Sandeshkhali violence

In 2019, TMC won 22 seats, BJP 18 and Congress 2

Alliances: Mamata Banerjee dumped INDIA alliance, Left and Congress may ally, BJP to fight alone 
Mar 16, 2024 14:54 (IST)
Election Date Live: 5 Facts About Bansuri Swaraj, BJPs Candidate For New Delhi Seat
Daughter of late Sushma Swaraj, born on January 3, 1984

Bansuri Swaraj has been a lawyer for 15 years.

She completed her Master of Studies at St. Catherine's College, University of Oxford.

Bansuri Swaraj made headlines by speaking out against the AAP government in Delhi. 

In a press conference, she criticised the government, calling it "quarrelsome" and "useless." Her critique focused on the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023. 

Bansuri Swaraj was appointed co-convenor of the BJP Delhi's legal cell last year.
Mar 16, 2024 14:50 (IST)
Elections 2024: Congress's 5 Guarantees
The first job is guaranteed for every graduate and diploma holder aged below 25 years. 

Apprenticeship for graduates and diploma holders for government offices.

A stipend of ₹ 1 lakh will be given over the one-year training period.   

30 lakh vacancies in government jobs to be filled

Law against paper leaks. The government will conduct the competitive exams directly

Assured startup funds and social security for gig workers.

Mar 16, 2024 14:37 (IST)
Election Dates: Everything To Know About Lok Sabha Election 2024
The current term of the Lok Sabha will end on June 16 and the new House has to be constituted before that date.

In 2019, the general elections were held in seven phases beginning April 11 and the votes were counted on May 23.

In the polls, the BJP won 303 seats while the Congress got 52 seats.

Four states -- Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Odisha -- will also hold polls. Polls in Jammu and Kahsmir may also be announced.
Mar 16, 2024 14:19 (IST)
Elections 2024: Lok Sabha Election Dates To Be Announced Soon
The Election Commission of India will announce the dates for the upcoming general elections shortly.
Mar 16, 2024 13:55 (IST)
Lok Sabha Elections 2024: 5 Facts About Bhupesh Baghel, Congress Candidate From Chhattisgarh's Rajnandgaon
Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel is set to return to the Lok Sabha race after a decade. 

1) Born on August 23, 1961, in Durg district, Mr Baghel is the son of a farmer. He belongs to the Kurmi community and is an OBC face of the Congress in Chhattisgarh.

2) The 62-year-old began his career in politics in the early 1980s under the guidance of the Congress leader Chandulal Chandrakar. His first major success came in 1993 when he won the Madhya Pradesh Assembly election from Patan constituency. He was re-elected from the same seat in 1998. 

3) After Chhattisgarh was carved out of Madhya Pradesh in 2000, Bhupesh Baghel became the Minister for Revenue, Public Health Engineering and Relief Work. He held the post until 2003.

4) After leading the Opposition for 15 years, he led the Congress party to a landslide victory in the 2018 Chhattisgarh Assembly elections. Mr Baghel, elected from the Patan seat, took oath as the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister on December 17, 2018. 

5) In the 2023 Chhattisgarh Assembly polls, Mr Baghel was re-elected from the Patan seat, but the Congress managed to secure only 35 out of 90 seats. BJP's Vishnu Deo Sai took over as the Chief Minister.
Mar 16, 2024 13:49 (IST)
Election Date Live: Will Be On Roads From 6am On Poll Days, Says Bengal Governor
West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Saturday expressed his commitment to actively engage in the upcoming general elections, pledging to put an end to violence and corruption in the state. He declared his intention to be present in the field from the very first day of the election process.

"I will be in the field right from day one of the election. My two priorities will be to see that no violence and corruption takes place during the election. I will be on the road at 6am before others wake up," he said.
Mar 16, 2024 13:25 (IST)
Lok Sabha Elections 2024: 5 Facts About Yusuf Pathan, Trinamool Pick For Bengal Congress Stronghold Baharampur
Former Team India cricketer Yusuf Pathan will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on a Trinamool Congress ticket from the Baharampur seat in West Bengal. 

1) Born on November 17, 1982, in Baroda, Yusuf Pathan is the elder of the Pathan siblings who have represented India in the late 2000s and early 2010s. 

2) In 2007, he debuted in the T20 World Cup final against Pakistan, going on to win the title. He was also part of the squad that won the 2011 World Cup on home soil.
 
3)Known for big-hitting abilities, Yusuf Pathan won two more IPL titles with Kolkata Knight Riders.

4)Mr Pathan joins the illustrious list of cricketers who have represented India both on the field and in politics. Navjot Singh Sidhu, Mohammed Azharuddin, Gautam Gambhir, Kirti Azad, and Chetan Chauhan are some of the prominent names from the field of cricket who also tasted success in the political arena.

5) He will be up against a political heavyweight in Congress' Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury who has been undefeated from Baharampur since 1999. 

Mar 16, 2024 13:01 (IST)
Lok Sabha Elections 2024: 5 Points About Rahul Gandhi, Congress Candidate From Kerala Wayanad
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will contest the Lok Sabha elections 2024 from Kerala's Wayanad. He was among the 39 candidates announced by Congress in its first list. Mr Gandhi is a four-time MP. He lost from Amethi in 2019.

1) Born on June 19, 1970 to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi is the grandson of Indira Gandhi, also a former Prime Minister, and the great-grandson of the country's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Rahul Gandhi was homeschooled after the assassination of Indira Gandhi.

2) Rahul Gandhi entered electoral politics during the 2004 Lok Sabha elections from UP's Amethi seat, then a stronghold of the Nehru-Gandhi family. The high-profile Lok Sabha seat was previously represented by Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Sanjay Gandhi.

3) The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) came to power in 2004. Rahul Gandhi wasn't a part of the government. He focused on working in the party and was appointed Congress's general secretary in 2007. 

4) Rahul Gandhi was appointed Congress vice president in 2013. The UPA government suffered defeat at the hands of the Narendra Modi-led BJP's campaign in the 2014 elections. The Congress was reduced to its lowest-ever tally of 44 seats. 

5) In 2017, Rahul Gandhi was appointed Congress president, replacing his mother Sonia Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi lost his family stronghold seat of Amethi, but was elected from Wayanad. He resigned from the post of Congress president in view of the party's dismal performance in the polls.
Mar 16, 2024 12:35 (IST)
Lok Sabha Elections 2024: 5 Facts On Amit Shah, BJP's Gandhinagar Candidate
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Gujarat's Gandhinagar. 

1)Apart from his mother, the teachings of Kanhaiyalal Maneklal Munshi, an Independence movement activist, politician and writer, also had a deep influence on Amit Shah.

2) Amit Shah's interest in politics could be gauged from his active participation in the election campaign of Maniben Patel, the daughter of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, at the age of 13.A few years later, Mr Shah joined the RSS

3) Amit Shah, who became the secretary of BJP's Ahmedabad unit in 1989, participated in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and later in the Ekta Yatra. 

4) In 1997, Amit Shah, already the National Treasurer of the BJP's Yuva Morcha, contested the Sarkhej assembly by-election and won by a margin of 25,000 votes. During his tenure as an MLA, Amit Shah developed close ties with then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, eventually forming one-half of the Modi-Shah juggernaut. 

5) In 2014, he took over as the BJP National President and was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat in 2017. In 2019, he entered the Lok Sabha after winning the Gandhinagar seat by a margin of over 5 lakh votes. He became the country's Home Minister.
Mar 16, 2024 12:02 (IST)
Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: 5 Facts On PM Narendra Modi, Who's Looking To Win From Varanasi Again
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will contest once again from Varanasi in the Lok Sabha polls as he seeks a record third term.

1) Born on September 17, 1950, in Vadnagar town of North Gujarat's Mehsana district, Narendra Modi lived with his entire family in a single-storey house.

2) As a child, Narendra Modi, was believed to have been inspired by the teachings of Swami Vivekananda.

3) At the age of 17, Narendra Modi left Vadnagar to travel across India, exploring cultures, and getting to know his country better. In 1972, Narendra Modi went to Ahmedabad and joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

4) In 1987, Narendra Modi entered mainstream politics and was made the General Secretary of BJP's Gujarat unit in a year. In 2001, the party's high command chose Narendra Modi to replace Keshubhai Patel as the Gujarat chief minister, a post he went on to hold until 2014.

5) In 2014, the BJP came to power at the Centre after a decade of Congress rule, and Narendra Modi, who by then had established himself as a name synonymous with development, was sworn in as India's Prime Minister.
Mar 16, 2024 11:58 (IST)
Karnataka BJP Leader KS Eshwarappa Says Will Contest As Independent Candidate
Senior BJP leader KS Eshwarappa on Friday announced that he will contest as an independent candidate from the Shimoga seat in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
Mar 16, 2024 11:08 (IST)
Election 2024 Date LIVE: Who Are The New Election Commissioners Named To Poll Panel?
Two new Election Commissioners were inducted, after the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey in February and Arun Goel's surprise resignation last week. Former IAS officers Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu have been named to the panel.
Mar 16, 2024 11:07 (IST)
Schedule For Lok Sabha Elections To Be Announced At 3 Pm Today
Dates for the 2024 Lok Sabha election will be announced at 3 pm Saturday, the Election Commission of India said on Friday.

Source: NDTV.COM