EC to announce Lok Sabha poll schedule today at 5pm

The Election Commission (EC) is set to announce on Sunday the dates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections which is likely to be spread over seven to eight phases in April-May.

The poll panel will be holding a press conference at 5 pm at the Vigyan Bhavan in the National Capital.

The term of the current Lok Sabha ends on June 3.

With the announcement of polls, the model code of conduct will come into force. Amongst other things, the code bars the government from announcing policy decisions.

Apart from announcing dates for the Lok Sabha elections, there is a strong possibility that the EC may go by the precedent and hold Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. Since the Assembly in Jammu and Kashmir has been dissolved, the EC is bound to hold fresh elections there as well within a six-month period, which will end in May.

The EC had also swung into action on March 9 after it issued a reminder to all political parties not to use pictures of any defence personnel in their posters and campaigns.