Odisha Electoral Chief Nikunja Bihari Dhal Assesses Poll Preparations

Following the announcement of the Lok Sabha Elections schedule by the Election Commission of India, Odisha’s Chief Electoral Officer Nikunja Bihari Dhal stated that while an evaluation of sensitive and vulnerable polling stations has been completed, the ultimate assessment will occur only after the candidates are confirmed.

As per the schedule unveiled by the Election Commission, Lok Sabha elections in Odisha are slated to occur across four phases on May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1.

“As per the schedule, the elections to the Lok Sabha and Odisha Legislative Assembly will be conducted simultaneously on four dates: 13th May, 20th May, 25th May, and 1st June… The sensitive and vulnerable booths’ primary assessment has been done, but the final assessment will be done after the candidates are finalised… Conducting polls in the later part of May will be a challenge for us because May is the cyclone month for Odisha… We have tasked cyber police to keep a close watch on fake news,” said the Chief Electoral Officer of Odisha, Nikunja Bihari Dhal.

The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) was enforced on Saturday subsequent to the Election Commission of India unveiling the dates for elections to the Lok Sabha and four state assemblies. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar urged all political parties and their leaders to strictly adhere to the poll code.

As the term of the 17th Lok Sabha is set to conclude on June 16, 2024, elections for its 543 seats must be conducted before then. The general election for these 543 Lok Sabha seats will take place in seven phases starting from April 19, with the counting scheduled for June 4. Elections to the State legislatures of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Sikkim will also occur during this period.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar announced that voting will take place in 7 phases commencing from April 19.

In Phase 1, scheduled for April 19, voting will occur in a total of 102 constituencies. The second phase of Lok Sabha polls, set for April 26, will witness voting on 89 constituencies. The third phase of General elections is slated for May 7, with a total of 94 constituencies conducting voting in this phase.

Phase 4 will encompass polling for 96 Lok Sabha seats on May 13. Phase 5, scheduled for May 20, will witness polling on 49 Lok Sabha seats. The sixth phase, set for May 25, will see polling on 57 constituencies. Finally, the seventh and final phase of Lok Sabha elections will be held on June 1, with polling taking place on 57 constituencies.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar announced that a total of 96.8 crore voters will be eligible to cast their vote in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.