IT News
Imphal, Mar 16:
Chief Election Commissioner of India (CEC) Rajiv Kumar announced the schedule for the 18th Lok Sabha elections today. The Lok Sabha Election will span over 7 phases, commencing on April 19 and concluding on June 1, with counting scheduled for June 4. Phase 1 polling is set for April 19, followed by subsequent phases on April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1.
Notably, polling for Manipur, Tripura, Karnataka, and Rajasthan will occur in two phases, with Manipur’s voting taking place in both the 1st and 2nd phases on April 19 and April 26.
Additionally, elections schedules were announced for the assemblies of Sikkim (32 seats), Odisha (147 seats), Arunachal Pradesh (60 constituencies), and Andhra Pradesh (175 constituencies). Bypolls for 26 assembly constituencies will be conducted in three phases, coinciding with the parliamentary polls, with the counting of votes slated for June 4.
The Model Code of Conduct, effective immediately, prohibits the government from making any new policy decisions.
The CEC emphasized the extensive preparations for the elections, with 97 crore registered voters, including 47.1 crore women, and the use of 55 lakh Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Notably, voters above 85 years and persons with disabilities with 40% benchmark disability can avail of the vote-from-home option, a first for general elections nationwide.
Addressing challenges such as muscle, money, misinformation, and MCC violation, the EC is committed to curbing violence, employing drone-based checking at international borders and establishing a network of checkpoints across the country. To combat the misuse of money, the EC will implement differential treatment in each state, cracking down on freebies and monitoring suspicious transactions.
Misinformation will be tackled using provisions of the IT Act, with each state authorized to request the takedown of fake social media posts. The EC will also launch a ‘Myth versus Reality’ section on its website.
Political parties have been instructed to adhere to MCC guidelines, with a warning against creating digital records of inappropriate statements during campaigning.
