Lok Sabha Elections 2024: CEC Rajiv Kumar Unveils Phase 3 Schedule. Check Dates

The ECI announced the schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Read this article to learn details about the schedule for the third phase of polling.

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Lok Sabha Phase 3 Schedule: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday initiated the electoral process for the 18th Lok Sabha. It further disclosed the details of the phases in which the process is to be completed. Read this article to learn details about the schedule for the third phase of polling.

During a press conference in the national capital, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar revealed the election schedule. The polling will take place in seven phases, as it did in 2019.

All About The Phase 3 Of Lok Sabha Polls:

Polling is scheduled for May 7. Vote counting is scheduled for June 4. 94 Lok Sabha seats will be covered in this phase. 

Schedule for General Elections to Lok Sabha 2024

Phase 3#GeneralElections2024 #MCC pic.twitter.com/wbCM77IJmi

— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) March 16, 2024

Lok Sabha elections 2024 Phase 3: States going to polls

Assam will hold elections for 14 seats in three phases. On May 7, four seats will be voted on in the third phase, bringing the voting process in the state to an end.

Bihar will hold elections in 40 seats over seven phases.

On May 7, the third phase will take place, with five seats up for election.

Chhattisgarh: The state will hold elections in three phases. Seven of the state's 11 Lok Sabha seats will be up for election in Phase 3 on May 7, bringing the voting process to a close.

Goa: Both seats in Goa will be voted on in a single phase on May 7.

Gujarat: All 26 seats will be polled in a single phase on May 7.

Karnataka: Voting will take place in two phases. The remaining 14, of the 28 seats, will vote in Phase 3 on May 7, bringing the state's voting process to a close.

Madhya Pradesh: Eight of Madhya Pradesh's 29 seats will go to the polls in Phase 3 on May 7. The remainder will be completed in phases one, two, and four.

Maharashtra: The state will go to the polls in five phases. Of the 48 seats, voting for 11 will take place in Phase 3 on May 7.

Uttar Pradesh: Elections for 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh will take place in seven phases. On May 7, the third phase of voting will take place for ten seats.

West Bengal: The state will hold elections for 42 seats in seven phases. On May 7, the third phase will take place, with four seats up for election.

Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu: Both seats will vote in a single phase on May 7. 

Jammu and Kashmir: Five seats in J&K will be filled in five consecutive phases (Phases 1-5). On May 7, one seat will be put to the vote.

Additionally, the ECI disclosed that dates for four Assembly elections, expected to coincide with the Lok Sabha polls, will also be unveiled.

READ | Lok Sabha Elections 2024: 8 States To See Polling In Phase 7. Check Date, Other Details Here

The enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct will commence upon the announcement of polling dates, adhering to electoral guidelines. The previous general election in 2019 spanned over seven phases from April 11 to May 19, with results declared four days later.

States anticipated to vote during April/May include Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Sikkim, with Maharashtra, Haryana, and Jharkhand slated for later this year. Furthermore, Jammu and Kashmir, along with Ladakh, will participate in Assembly polls by September 30, as mandated by a Supreme Court directive, marking the initial phase towards reinstating statehood.

In a significant departure from convention, the election commission has provided a 24-hour notice for the press conference, where voting dates, polling phases, and security arrangements, especially in regions prone to post-poll violence or insurgent activities, were disclosed.

The ruling party in West Bengal, Trinamool Congress, has already advocated for a single-phase election in the state, urging central security forces not to influence voters.

2019 Lok Sabha Poll Phase 3:

During the 2019 Lok Sabha Poll Phase 3, India conducted elections on April 23, 2019.

Thirteen states and two union territories participated in Phase 3 of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, encompassing 302 of the 543 seats. Notable constituencies included 26 seats in Gujarat, 20 seats in Kerala, 14 seats each in Karnataka and Maharashtra, and 10 constituencies in Uttar Pradesh. The electoral exercise also covered Chhattisgarh, Assam, Tripura, and Goa, marking a significant phase in the democratic process.