As the Lok Sabha elections draw closer, the Election Commission of India (ECI) initiated a two-day conference on Thursday, bringing together Chief Electoral Officers from all States and Union Territories to assess the preparedness for the upcoming polls. The conference, held at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) in New Delhi, will focus on deliberations regarding readiness for the scheduled general elections later this year.
Led by the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), the full Commission, including senior EC HQ officials and Chief Electoral Officers, actively participated in the meeting. The Election Commission stated, “A two-day Conference of Chief Electoral Officers of all States/UTs began in New Delhi this morning. The meeting, being held at IIIDEM, is reviewing preparedness for General Elections 2024. The full Commission, led by the CEC, senior EC HQ officials and CEOs are participating.”
In the 2019 general elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made history by securing a record 303 seats out of 542, while the Congress managed only 52 seats. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the first non-Congress full majority Prime Minister to be re-elected, achieved this with an even stronger majority.
With just six months remaining until the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, political parties have already initiated campaign plans to connect with voters. BJP National President JP Nadda recently arrived in Guwahati to chair crucial party meetings in the state as discussions among the INDIA partners aim to reach a seat-sharing agreement for the forthcoming elections. However, seat-sharing within the INDIA bloc remains a significant point of contention.
The allocation of seats for the general elections holds particular importance for the Congress following their significant defeats in the assembly elections in key states such as Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan.