Lok Sabha elections dates may be announced on Thursday or Friday: Report

The dates for the Lok Sabha elections are likely to be announced by Friday this week, NDTV reported on Sunday, citing sources. The Election Commission's observers' briefing meeting for the general election is currently underway in Delhi. The day-long briefing is aimed at streamlining strategy to ensure the implementation of the model code of conduct for the general elections likely to be held in April-May.

After this meeting, the EC team led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar will visit Jammu Kashmir to assess the poll preparedness of the Union Territory. Soon after the J&K visit, the commission is expected to release the election dates for Lok Sabha. The announcement may be made on Thursday or Friday.

India Today reported that assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir may also be announced simultaneously.

In December last year, the Supreme Court upheld the Centre's decision to scrap Article 370 but asked the authorities to conduct elections in the assembly by September 30, 2024. Months before this, the Centre in August had told the SC that elections in Jammu and Kashmir could be held "anytime from now" as the work on the updation of the voters list was almost over.

"The central government is ready to hold elections anytime from now...It is for the Election Commission of India and the Election Commission of the UT to take the call on which election will take place first and how. The updating process of the voters' list is almost complete and will be over in a month," Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, told a five-judge constitution bench hearing pleas challenging the scrapping of Article 370.