<h5>Who announced the election dates?</h5><p>Elections are critical for a country. It enables voters to select the individuals who will run the country and make important decisions. Recently, the Election Commission of India (ECI) released the schedule for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India, Rajiv Kumar, made the announcement.</p><p>Imagine the election schedule being like your school examination schedule. Just like your school’s principal thoroughly plans when you'll have examinations, the ECI plans when people will vote. The ECI announces the election dates early to ensure people know when voting will be held in their cities so that they can go and vote.</p><p>Remember, just like exams are essential for your development, elections are essential for the progress and development of the country.</p><div class="raw-html-embed"><figure> <iframe width="100%" height="350" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XGJQNKFYqYI" title="ECI : Process of Voting, Virtual Demo, Mx Democracy Gameplay, Lok Sabha Elections 2019" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><figcaption>A video on the voting process. Video by Election Commission of India.</figcaption></figure></div><h5>What are the announced election dates?</h5><figure class="image"><img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/newsahoot.appspot.com/o/dates-for-the-lok-sabha-election-announced%2Felection_date.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=5c077534-e7f4-4bd9-9cc5-4db9534b0541"><figcaption>The election schedule. Photo by India Today.</figcaption></figure><p>Voting will be held in seven phases across India, starting on 19th April 2024 and finishing on 1st June 2024. The election results will be announced on 4th June 2024. The seven election phases are: 19th April, 26th April, 7th May, 13th May, 20th May, 25th May, and 1st June.</p><p>Reports say around 98 crore people are eligible to vote in the upcoming election. The CEC also announced that voters over 85 can vote from home. He also said facilities such as drinking water and toilets will be available at all polling stations.</p><p>With the release of the election dates, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) takes effect immediately.</p><h5>What is the Model Code of Conduct?</h5><p>You have to follow some rules during your school exams, right? You are not allowed to cheat or create any disturbances. These rules help to ensure exams are held fairly. Similarly, the MCC of the ECI functions as a rulebook for political parties and candidates to follow before elections to ensure a fair election is held in India.</p><p>The MCC addresses topics such as what they can say in speeches, how they should act on election day, what the ruling party can and cannot do, what can be included in election manifestos, etc.</p><p>The MCC contains numerous rules that the ruling party, opposition parties, candidates, etc., must follow. For example, the ruling party cannot announce any policy or scheme to influence people to vote for them.</p><p>The ECI made the MCC to ensure that elections are fair for all. If someone violates the MCC, the ECI won't be able to take legal action against them. Instead, they may receive a warning or criticism from the ECI.</p><p>However, an MCC violation can invite legal punishment if that violation is also a crime under the Indian Penal Code 1860 or the Representation of People Act 1951.</p><p>Still, one must participate in the country’s election process and vote. You must also ask your parents and elders to vote during the upcoming election. Read this <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.newsahoot.com/articles/the-importance-of-voting">article</a> to understand the importance of voting.</p>

The Lok Sabha election starts on 19th April 2024 and will end on 1st June 2024.

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