EC debunks 'fake' WhatsApp message on LS poll dates

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued a clarification regarding a fake WhatsApp message circulating about the schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections.

The Election Commission has said the message falsely claims to be from the ECI, but the Commission stated that no dates have been announced yet. The ECI announces the election schedule through a press conference.

According to sources, the ECI is expected to announce the schedule for the Lok Sabha elections after March 13. Teams from the Election Commission are assessing the election preparedness of various states, with the assessment likely to conclude by March 13.

ECI officials are holding frequent meetings with Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) from different states to address potential issues before the elections. Discussions focus on practical challenges like transporting Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), the need for security personnel, and monitoring activities along state borders.

The ECI has instructed state governments to ensure that officers who have completed three years at a place or are posted in their home district are transferred.

This includes officers involved in election work.

The Commission has strengthened its transfer policy to prevent officers from being transferred to adjacent districts within the same Parliamentary Constituency to maintain a level playing field in the elections.

Several states, including Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh, are set to conduct simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in the coming months.