Assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha scheduled for April 19 and May 13

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The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced that assembly elections will be held simultaneously with the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections in four states. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar informed reporters about this development, highlighting the electoral schedule and key details.

Arunachal Pradesh, with 60 assembly seats and 2 Lok Sabha seats, will participate in both elections on April 19. Similarly, Sikkim, with 32 assembly seats, will also vote on the same day.

Andhra Pradesh, with 175 assembly seats, will conduct voting on May 13, with results expected on June 4. Meanwhile, Odisha’s assembly elections will take place in two phases – voting for 42 seats each on May 25 and June 1.

These elections in the four states will coincide with the massive Lok Sabha elections, making it a significant democratic exercise. The results for all these elections will be declared on June 4.

In Arunachal Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had a strong performance in 2019, securing 41 out of 60 seats. The Janata Dal (United), National People’s Party (NPP), Congress, and Peoples Party of Arunachal Pradesh also won seats.

Sikkim witnessed the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) forming the government in 2019 by winning 17 seats out of 32, while the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) secured 15 seats.

Meanwhile, in Odisha, there has been ongoing speculation about an alliance between the BJP and the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD). Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik convened a meeting with BJD leaders to discuss this alliance, although no final decision has been announced yet.

In the previous 2019 elections, Patnaik’s BJD performed exceptionally well, winning 115 out of 147 assembly seats.

Moving to Andhra Pradesh, the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) emerged victorious in 2019 with 151 assembly seats and a significant vote share. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP), which won 23 seats, is set to contest the 2024 polls in alliance with Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena Party and the BJP, rejoining the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

The upcoming elections in these states, alongside the Lok Sabha polls, will shape the political landscape and determine the future course of governance in these regions.