Tripti Nath/ New Delhi

The Election Commission on Saturday assured 97 crore voters a free and fair election spread over seven phases. The country will go to polls on April 19 and know the outcome on June 4, nearly two weeks ahead of the June 16 deadline for forming a new government.

""The 2024 Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases beginning April 19. The results will be announced on June 4 — ahead of the June 16 deadline for forming a new government. West Bengal will cast its ballots in seven phases, starting April 19, In the first phase, 21 States will go to polls. Date of poll for the second phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024 is on 26th April, the third phase on 7th May, the fourth phase on 13th May,the fifth phase on 20th May, the sixth phase on 26th May and the seventh phase on 1st June,'' the Chief Election Commissioner, Rajiv Kumar announced at a media briefing here on Saturday.

Addressing mediapersons here to announce dates of the 17th Lok Sabha elections and Assembly polls to four states, the Chief Election Commissioner, Rajiv Kumar said that 1.5 crore polling officials besides security staff will be deployed to conduct the elections in the world's largest democracy. He said that Assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim are scheduled to take place on April 19 while Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha are scheduled to take place on May 13. The counting of votes is on June 4.''

The ECI also annouced the schedule of bye elections in 26 Assembly constituencies alongside the General Elections.

In his opening remarks, the CEC said, " We are committed to give the nation a truly festive, democratic environment. The term of the 17th Lok Sabha is due to expire on 16th June 2024. The terms of the Legislative Assemblies of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim are also due to expire in June 2024. Elections are due in Jammu and Kashmir," he said.

Talking about the magnitude of the Lok Sabha polls, the CEC said: “The total number of voters (in India) is more than the combined voters of many continents.”

He added, ''The entire team of ECI is ready to ink the voters. So please join us  The elections belong to you.The whole world’s attentrion is on the elections in the world’s largest democracy. We have 2,100 observors. We are very committed to ethical discourse. We will be ruthless in dealing with anybody who disrupts elections, he warned. 

He said that the ECI succeded in having 11 violence free State Assembly polls. 

"We are aware that there are differential vulnerabilities in different States. There should be no scope of violence or bloodbath at any stage of the election process.We will not allow misuse of money.We have directed all agencies to prevent distribution of any freebies.''

The CEC said, "A total of 97 crore voters including 1.82 crore first time voters, 88.4 lakh Persons with Disabilities, 42 lakh persons over the age of 85 and 48,000 transgenders, are part of the electoral rolls that have been updated with a of effiort. Approximately 49.7 crore voters are male and 47.1 crore voters are female. Our electoral roll includes 82 lakh voters of over 85 years of age, 2.18 lakh centenarians.  This time, there are 19.74 crore voters in the age group of 20-29 years. A very solid electoral role is the foundation stone of an election. The gender ratio of women voters have increased to 948 in some states. In some states, the gender ratio has crossed 1000.''

In his opening remarks, the CEC said,“ It is a pre requisite for a fair election that elections are pure. We have addressed disruptive challenges.We have personally intreracted with 1800 dustrict magistrates in the country. We have interacted with SPs, Commissioners.We are convinced that we will ensure an impartial and independent election.

The CEC was accompanied by the two Election Commissioners.The CEC said that the ECI wants environmentally sustainable elections and ensure that there is proper waste management at polling stations. We want to reduce paper work. We are also leveraging technology.''

He assured voters that the ECI has created minimum basic facilities at all the polling stations." We are ready to go to collect the votes of  persons over 85 years of age and of Persons with Disabillities, from their homes. These are voters who have more than 40 per cent disability. We will send them a form and ask them if they want our officers to come or whether they want to come to the polling stations to casrt their votes We have many challenges of money, muscle, menace of misinformation. We have also asked political parties to talk respectfully to Persons with Disabilities.''

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He appealed to people nor to create wrong digital memory. 

He said that apart from sending advisories to political parties, the ECI has also sent advisories to newspaper editors to ensure that if they lend their editorial space to project wave in favour of any political party, they should clearly spell out that it is an advertorial. " Political parties have been told not to use children in campiagning.''