The 18th Lok Sabha elections in 2024 will span seven phases, commencing on April 19 and concluding on June 1. Here’s a breakdown of the voting phases and the states and Union Territories (UTs) involved:
- April 19: Phase One (102 constituencies in 21 states/UTs)
- Arunachal Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Chandigarh, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Ladakh, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Puducherry, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu.
- April 26: Phase Two (89 constituencies in 13 states/UTs)
- Karnataka, Rajasthan, Tripura, Manipur, and additional states/UTs.
- May 7: Phase Three (94 constituencies in 12 states/UTs)
- Chhattisgarh, Assam, and additional states/UTs.
- May 13: Phase Four (96 constituencies in 10 states/UTs)
- Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and additional states/UTs.
- May 20: Phase Five (49 constituencies in 8 states/UTs)
- Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir, and additional states/UTs.
- May 25: Phase Six (57 constituencies in 7 states/UTs)
- Additional states/UTs.
- June 1: Phase Seven (57 constituencies in 8 states/UTs)
- Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and additional states/UTs.
The Election Commission, led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, outlined various strategies to address challenges such as muscle power, financial influence, misinformation, and Model Code violations. These include drone surveillance at borders, monitoring of non-chartered flights, and rigorous action against election-related violence.
Furthermore, the Commission announced plans to conduct assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir promptly following the Lok Sabha polls.
