The Election Commission on March 16 announced the dates and the full schedule for the Lok Sabha elections 2024. The general elections will be conducted in seven phases, with the results set to be announced on June 4. The voting for the first phase will take place on April 19, and the seven phases will encompass a total of 543 constituencies.
The polling schedule for the upcoming elections is as follows: Phase 1 will be held on April 19, followed by the second phase on April 26, the third phase on May 7, the fourth phase on May 13, the fifth phase on May 20, the sixth phase on May 25, and finally, the seventh and last phase on June 1.
The poll panel announced Andhra Pradesh will undergo state assembly polls on May 13, with the results set to be announced on June 4. The single-phase election for the 175-member Andhra Pradesh Assembly is scheduled , concurrently with the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The state of Andhra Pradesh is often among the list of opening states during any Lok Sabha elections, a trend that was observed during the 2019 general elections as well.
Political parties have been instructed to distribute Model Code of Conduct (MCC) guidelines to all their star campaigners. The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) issued a warning, advising campaigners to refrain from creating a digital record of offensive language.
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Andhra Pradesh holds a total of 25 seats in the Lok Sabha. In 2019, the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) achieved a sweeping victory, securing 22 seats, mirroring its success in the Assembly polls. In contrast, the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) managed to secure only three seats. While the YSRCP garnered a vote share of 50 percent in the 2019 general election, the TDP secured 40 percent.
For the upcoming general elections, the TDP, under the leadership of Chandrababu Naidu, is contesting as part of a three-party alliance alongside Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). They will face off against the YSRCP, led by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, and the Congress, headed by YS Sharmila, Jagan’s sister.
As per the seat-sharing agreement with the BJP and Jana Sena, the TDP has agreed to allocate eight out of the 25 Lok Sabha seats to its two allies. Jana Sena will contest from two Lok Sabha seats, the BJP from six, and the TDP from the remaining 17 constituencies.
The term of the current Lok Sabha is set to end on June 16, and a new House must be constituted before that date. In 2019, the Lok Sabha polls were announced on March 10 and held in seven phases starting from April 11. Votes were counted on May 23. Approximately 97 crore people are eligible to cast their votes in the upcoming polls across over 12 lakh polling stations.
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