16 March 2024

• Elections: The Election Commission of India announced the schedule for the 18th Lok Sabha general election, to be held in seven phases from 19 April to 1 June 2024, with counting on 4 June. The Model Code of Conduct came into force immediately.
• Polity: The schedule simultaneously covered assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim, all to be held alongside the Lok Sabha polling.
• Constitutional body: The announcement demonstrated the Election Commission's authority under Article 324 in its most visible form: superintendence, direction and control of the entire electoral process.
• Economy: With MCC now active, the government could no longer announce new schemes or policies that could be seen as voter influence until after the results.

GS area: Polity (elections, Election Commission)

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar announced the schedule for the 18th general election to the Lok Sabha:

• Phase 1: 19 April 2024, 102 seats.
• Phase 2: 26 April 2024, 89 seats.
• Phase 3: 7 May 2024, 94 seats.
• Phase 4: 13 May 2024, 96 seats.
• Phase 5: 20 May 2024, 49 seats.
• Phase 6: 25 May 2024, 57 seats.
• Phase 7: 1 June 2024, 57 seats.
• Counting: 4 June 2024.

Total duration: 81 days from announcement to counting. The 2019 Lok Sabha election ran 75 days. Four state assemblies (Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim) held elections simultaneously with the Lok Sabha phases. By-elections were announced for 26 assembly seats across various states.

Static linkage: Polity (elections, Election Commission).

GS area: Polity (Election Commission)

The announcement on 16 March 2024 was the year's clearest demonstration of Article 324 in operation. The article:

• Vests superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of electoral rolls and the conduct of elections to Parliament, state legislatures and the offices of President and Vice-President in the Election Commission of India.
• Composition of ECI: a multi-member body comprising the Chief Election Commissioner and such other Election Commissioners as the President may appoint.
• Security of tenure: the CEC can be removed only by impeachment, like a Supreme Court judge. Election Commissioners have service security but are removed more easily. This asymmetry was flagged by the Supreme Court in the Anoop Baranwal case (2023).

Static linkage: Polity (constitutional bodies, Election Commission).

GS area: Polity (elections)

The Model Code of Conduct came into force the moment the schedule was announced on 16 March 2024. Its key features:

• No statutory basis: the MCC is not a law passed by Parliament. It is a set of guidelines developed through political consensus since 1960 and refined over successive elections.
• Enforced by: the ECI under its general authority from Article 324.
• Scope: applies to all political parties and candidates. Bars the ruling government from announcing new projects, schemes or appointments that could influence voters.
• Exclusions: ongoing programmes can continue; only new announcements are barred.
• Duration: remains in force until the counting is completed and a government is sworn in.

Static linkage: Polity (elections, Election Commission, governance).

GS area: Polity (state governments, federalism)

Four state assembly elections were announced to run simultaneously with the Lok Sabha:

• Andhra Pradesh: 175-seat assembly, single phase.
• Arunachal Pradesh: 60-seat assembly, single phase.
• Odisha: 147-seat assembly, four phases (matching Lok Sabha phases in the state).
• Sikkim: 32-seat assembly, single phase.

Simultaneous elections reduce logistical costs and free governance from prolonged election mode. They are distinct from the "One Nation One Election" proposal, which would synchronise all state and national elections at a fixed cycle.

Static linkage: Polity (federalism, state legislatures).

• Lok Sabha seats: the current Lok Sabha has 543 elected seats. The winning party or coalition needs 272 seats for a majority. With delimitation frozen on the 1971 Census figures, the seat allocation has not changed since 1977.
• Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs): used in all Indian elections since 2000 for Lok Sabha. The EVM consists of a Control Unit (with the polling officer) and a Balloting Unit (in the voting compartment). Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines have been mandatory since 2019 to allow post-vote verification.
• NOTA: None of the Above option has been available since 2013, introduced by the ECI following a Supreme Court order. NOTA votes count for turnout but not for seat allocation.