Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar arrives at Election Commission of India, to roll out poll schedule at 3 PM

On meeting with NCP-SCP Chief Sharad Pawar, Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat told ANI, "We discussed the campaigns for the upcoming elections and about the upcoming INDIA alliance meeting in Shivaji Park."

According to the Electoral Commission's voter rolls, the total electorate in the country is expected to reach one billion (100 crore) individuals, representing approximately 12.5 percent of the global population, the IE reported.

The Election Commission of India is poised to unveil the schedule for the Lok Sabha polls on Saturday. "It is an important day. The country will get the general elections schedule at 3pm today," Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said ahead of the announcement.

मेरा भारत, मेरा परिवार! pic.twitter.com/GzkIIvEIUb

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 16, 2024

Increasing its criticism of the government regarding the electoral bonds controversy, Congress on Saturday alleged that corporate India has been coerced out of thousands of crores and emphasized the urgent necessity for an independent investigation monitored by the Supreme Court. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh outlined four purportedly corrupt tactics employed by the BJP, namely, "Chanda Do, Dhandha Lo" (donate to get business), "Hafta Vasuli" (extortion), "Theka Lo-Rishvat Do" (secure contracts by giving bribes), and "Farzi Company - Dakait Sangni" (loot through shell companies). Ramesh underscored these patterns of corruption as alarming, based on an initial analysis of the data surrounding the electoral bond scandal.

Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Friday expressed the BJP's eagerness for the Lok Sabha elections to be conducted promptly, emphasizing that the people of Himachal Pradesh are eager to respond strongly to the state government's false promises made over the past 15 months. "Himachal's residents are poised to vote against the state government, seeking to hold them accountable for their deceptive commitments," Thakur said during a press briefing in Bilaspur on Friday.

Nana Patole, the State Congress President, told ANI during Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra in Mumbai today that the Maharashtra Congress is fully prepared for elections. He said that the people of Maharashtra have a singular goal: to remove the BJP from power. Patole criticized the Modi government, accusing it of selling dreams and betraying the nation.

The government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with other state governments, will be barred from announcing financial grants or making commitments, as per the Election Commission of India (ECI). Once the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is enforced after the announcement of Lok Sabha poll dates, ministers are prohibited from approving grants or disbursements from discretionary funds.

Furthermore, government authorities are forbidden from utilizing government resources for election-related activities, and the deployment of official machinery or personnel for electioneering purposes is strictly prohibited.

Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, a retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the 1988 Uttarakhand cadre, previously held the position of Secretary to the Lokpal. On February 3 of this year, he was appointed as the Election Commissioner on a contract basis for a duration of one year. His term was slated to conclude on February 4, 2025.

The voting process, anticipated to be held in April, is likely to be organized in seven to eight phases this year. In the previous 2019 elections, the voting took place in over seven phases.

Once the Lok Sabha election 2024 schedule is announced today, the Election Commission will enforce the Model Code of Conduct.

In the 2019 General Elections, the BJP-led NDA secured a significant victory, clinching 353 out of the total 543 official seats. Of these, the BJP alone secured 303 seats, surpassing the required majority mark of 272 by a margin of 31 seats. The NDA coalition comprised a total of 37 parties, including the National People’s Party, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde), Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar), Janata Dal (Secular), Janata Dal (United), and others, rallying under its banner.

Addressing the citizens as "my dear family member," Prime Minister Modi has written an open letter to all the countrymen where he has highlighted several significant moves/decisions made under his administration, such as the abrogation of Article 370 and the implementation of GST. Acknowledging that his collaboration with the citizens is approaching a decade, he has also invited suggestions to contribute towards realizing the vision of a developed India, referred to as "Viksit Bharat."

The PM also emphasized that the trust and support of the nation's 1.4 billion individuals serve as a continual source of inspiration and motivation for him. "The success of efforts such as pucca houses through Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, access to electricity, water and LPG for all, free medical treatments through Ayushman Bharat, financial help to farmers, assistance to women through Matru Vandana Yojana and many more has been possible only due to the trust that you have placed in me," the Prime Minister wrote.