New Delhi, March 10: As the Lok Sabha Elections are around the corner, the political atmosphere in the country has started to heat up. Now, all eyes are on the Election commission of India (ECI), as according to reports, it can announce the election dates for 543 constituencies anytime, either later today or early next week. Along with the schedule of the parliamentary elections, the EC will also announce the dates for assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim. There is also the possibility that dates for the elections in Jammu and Kashmir might also be announced along with the Lok Sabha polls. Lok Sabha Elections 2019: BJP Ties-Up With AJSU in Jharkhand, Will Contest 13 Seats And Leave 1 for Regional Ally.

The dates of the Lok Sabha Elections 2019 were expected to be announced by the first week of March, but according to sources, the EC might have delayed the announcement because of the February 14 Pulwama Attack and the recently concluded Kumbh Mela. Meanwhile, the Election Commission on Saturday convened a meeting to assess preparedness for the Lok Sabha elections. In the meeting, the assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir were also discussed. Once the poll dates are announced, the Model Code of Conduct will come into force. BJD Stalwart Baijayant Panda Joins BJP, Days Ahead of Lok Sabha Elections 2019.

As per the deadline, the term of the 16th Lok Sabha will end on June 3, while Andhra Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh assemblies will end on June 18. Similarly, the terms of Odisha and Sikkim assemblies will expire on June 11 and May 27. The poll-conducting body might announce the dates for elections in nine phases, just like it did in 2014. The EC is most likely to use 22.3 lakh ballot units, 16.3 lakh control units and nearly 17.3 lakh VVPATs. Lok Sabha Elections 2019: KCR Continues Third Front Push as KT Rama Rao Meets Jaganmohan Reddy.

Meanwhile, according to various opinion polls, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may not be able to repeat the performance of 2014 elections, but will still manage to bag around 250-270 seats. However, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) led by the Congress may get restricted under 200 seats.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 10, 2019 10:03 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).