Date of counting of votes for Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim changed to June 2

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has revised the election calendar for the legislative assembly elections of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, advancing the date of vote counting from June 4 to June 2. The decision comes in adherence to constitutional mandates, as the term of both state assemblies is set to conclude on June 2.

Citing the constitutional obligations under Article 324, Article 172(1) of the Constitution of India, and Section 15 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the ECI emphasized the necessity of conducting elections before the expiration of the respective assembly terms. Consequently, the poll body has modified the previously announced election schedule to align with these legal requirements.

While the change pertains solely to the counting of votes for the assembly elections, the ECI clarified that there will be no alterations to the schedule for the parliamentary constituencies of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.

The ECI had announced the electoral roadmap on Saturday, encompassing the long-awaited Lok Sabha elections along with assembly polls in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh. The parliamentary elections, spanning 543 constituencies, are scheduled in seven phases, commencing on April 19 and concluding on June 1.

Phase-wise polling for the Lok Sabha will unfold as follows: April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1. Concurrently, the assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim are slated for April 19, coinciding with the first phase of Lok Sabha polling, while Andhra Pradesh will vote on May 13. Odisha's assembly polls will span four phases on May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1.

The announcement of results for the Lok Sabha elections and the assembly polls in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh is scheduled for June 4.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar revealed that a staggering 96.8 crore voters are eligible to participate in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The electoral apparatus will deploy approximately 10.5 lakh polling stations, along with 1.5 crore polling officials and security personnel. A fleet of 55 lakh Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will be pressed into service to facilitate the electoral process.