N-WARNING DELHI COURT SENDS KAVITHA TO ED CUSTODY TILL 23 MARCH 17 MARCH 2024 www.thestatesman.com Twitter.com/TheStatesmanLtd Facebook.com/thestatesman PAGE 6 PAGE 2 DELHI CAPITALS, RCB TO FACE OFF IN TITLE CLASH PAGE 12 India’s National Newspaper since 1818 KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR PAGES 12 | `5.00 | LC WEATHER PARTLY CLOUDY SKY. THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WOULD BE AROUND 31 AND 11 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. Max: 30.3 °C1) SUN RISES 6:27 hrs MOON RISES 11:23 hrs NEW DELHI, 16 MARCH Min. 32 % TEMPERATURE Elections for 543 Lok Sabha seats, 4 state Assemblies, to be held between 19 April and 1 June; counting of votes on 4 June NIKHIL VYAS RAINFALL: NIL RELATIVE HUMIDITY Max. 90 % Seven-phase LS polls from 19 April THUMBNAILS Specially-abled children dressed up in traditional attire celebrate with colours ahead of the Holi festival, in Kolkata on Saturday.  ANI India opposes introducing a 'special envoy' to combat Islamophobia at UN: Calling India "a proud champion of pluralism," India's Permanent Representative Ruchira Kamboj opposed the establishment of the post of "special envoy" on a special religion at the United Nations today. This comes as the UN General Assembly adopted the Resolution on “Measures to Combat Islamophobia” which, inter alia, calls for the appointment of a UN Special Envoy to combat Islamophobia. 22 states and UTs including Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Telangana, Kerala, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Meghalaya and Nagaland will go to the polls in a single phase for the Lok Sabha polls.  Four states ~ Karnataka, Rajasthan, Manipur and Tripura ~ will go to the polls in two phases while Chhattisgarh and Assam will go to the polls in three phases for the Lok Sabha elections.  Three states ~ Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand ~ will have polling in four phases while in Maharashtra and Jammu and Kashmir, the polling will be held in five phases.  In three big states ~Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal ~ the polling will be spread over the seven phases. A total of 96.8 crore voters will be eligible to cast their votes in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. There will be 10.5 lakh polling stations and 1.5 crore polling officials. We are committed to give the nation a truly festive, democratic environment..We have 1.8 crore firsttime voters and 19.47 cr voters between the age group of 20-29 years appointed Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, said the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has come into force with immediate effect and appealed to all political parties and their leaders to strictly adhere to the poll code. Mr Kumar said the first phase of polling in 102 Lok Sabha seats will be held in 21 States and Union Terri- tories. The date of issue of notification is 20 March while the last date for making nominations is 27 March. The second phase will cover 89 Lok Sabha seats and it will be held in 13 States and Union Territories. The date of issue of notification is 28 March while the last date of nominations for candidates is 4 April. The third phase will have 94 Lok Sabha seats and it will cover 12 States and Union Territories. The date of issue of notification is 12 April and the last date for nominations for candidates is 19 April. The fourth phase will have 96 Lok Sabha seats, and it will cover 10 States and Union Territories. The date of issue of notification is 18 April and the last date for nominations for candidates is 25 April. In the fifth phase, 49  T Min: 10.1 °C (-5) SUN SETS 18:31 hrs MOON SETS 02:12 hrs FESTIVAL OF DEMOCRACY he wait is over. The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday announced that the 18th Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases between 19 April and 1 June and the results will be declared on 4 June. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, addressing a press conference here to announce the dates of elections to the 543 Lok Sabha constituencies and the legislative assemblies of four states~Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, said the first phase of polling for the Lok Sabha elections will be held on 19 April, the second phase on 26 April, the third phase on 7 May, the fourth phase on 13 May, the fifth phase on 20 May, the sixth phase on 25May and the seventh and final phase on 1 June. In three big states ~Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal ~ the polling will be spread over the seven phases. The tenure of the current Lok Sabha ends on 16 June. The CEC, who was flanked by two newly CEC Rajiv Kumar announcing the dates for the Lok Sabha polls on Saturday.  ANI BJP-led NDA fully prepared for LS polls on the basis of its good governance, says PM STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 16 MARCH Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday welcomed the announcement of the schedule of the Lok Sabha polls by the Election Commission, saying the BJP-led NDA is fully prepared for the electoral exercise. “The biggest festival of democracy is here! EC has announced the 2024 Lok Sabha election dates. We, the BJP-NDA, are fully prepared for elections. We are going to the people on the basis of our track record of good governance and service delivery across sectors,” he said in a social media post on X. The PM claimed that ten years ago before his government assumed office, the people of India were feeling betrayed and disillusioned, thanks to the then UPA’s PM Narendra Modi being felicitated by BJP members during a public meeting, in Nagarkurnool, Telangana on Saturday.  ANI “pathetic governance”. No sector was left untouched from scams and policy paralysis. The world had given up on India. From there, it’s been a glorious turnaround, he said. He said that powered by 140 crore Indians, the nation is now creating new records of development. “We have become the fifth largest economy and crores of people have been freed from poverty. Our schemes have reached all parts of India and the emphasis of saturation has yielded great results.” Mr Modi, who is seeking a third term for himself, said the people of India are witnessing what a determined, focused and result oriented government can do. “And, they want more of it. That is why from every corner of India, cutting across all sections of society, the people are saying in one voice- Ab Ki Baar, 400 Paar!'' He hit out at the Opposition, saying it is rudderless and issueless. “All they can do is abuse us and practice vote bank politics. Their dynastic approach and attempts of dividing society are not being accepted. Equally hurting them is their corruption track record. People don’t want such leadership,” he added. Mr Modi said that in “our third term, there’s much work to be done”. The last decade was about filling gaps created by those who ruled for 70 years. It was also about instilling a spirit of self-confidence that yes, India can become prosperous and self-reliant. “We will build on this spirit.” AP, Arunachal, Sikkim Assemblies to see single-phase polls, Odisha 4-phase polling STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 16 MARCH Along with elections for the 18th Lok Sabha, four State Assemblies of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim will also go to the polls in different phases of the election schedule. Andhra Pradesh has 175 Assembly seats, out of which 29 are reserved for Scheduled Castes and seven for Scheduled Tribes. The term of the current Assembly began on 12 June 2019 and ends on 11 June, 2024. All Assembly seats of the state will have polling on 13 May, along with the State’s 25 Lok Sabha seats. Arunachal Pradesh has 60 Assembly seats, 59 of them reserved for Scheduled Tribes. The term of its Assembly is from 3 June 2019 to 2 June 2024. The State Assembly seats will see polling on 19 April, along with the two Lok Sabha ASSEMBLY ELECTION DATES Arunachal Pradesh (60 seats) 19 April Sikkim (32 seats) 19 April Andhra Pradesh (175 seats) 13 May Odisha (147 seats) 13 May (28 seats), 20 May (35 seats), 25 May (42 seats) and 1 June (42 seats) Workers remove political hoardings in Prayagraj. seats of the State. The Odisha Assembly has 147 seats, 24 reserved for Scheduled Castes and 33 seats for Scheduled Tribes. Its term is from 25 June 2019 to 24 June 2024. Polling for the state Assembly will be spread over four  ANI days ~ 13 May (28 Assembly seats), 20 May (35 Assembly seats), 25 May (42 Assembly seats) and 1 June, 2024 (42 Assembly seats), along with the Lok Sabha seats. The Sikkim Assembly has 32 seats including two for Scheduled Castes. The term of the Assembly is from 3 June 2019 to 2 June 2024. The state Assembly polls will be held on 19 April, along with the state’s one Lok Sabha seat. In addition, the Election Commission has announced a schedule for by-elections to 26 Assembly Constituencies in Bihar, Haryana, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. The polling dates for the byelections are spread over the seven phases of polling for the general elections. The ECI is conducting elections to the Legislative Assemblies of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim before the cessation of their terms in exercise of the authority and powers conferred upon it under Article 324 read with Article 172 (1) of the Constitution of India and Section 15 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. RAJIV KUMAR CHIEF ELECTION COMMISSIONER Parliamentary constituencies will go to the polls and it will cover 8 States and Union Territories. The date of issue of notification is 26 April and the last date for nominations for candidates is 3 May. The sixth phase will cover 57 Lok Sabha seats and it will be held in 7 States and Union territories. The date of issue of notification is 29 April and the last date for nominations for candidates is 6 May. The seventh phase will cover 57 Lok Sabha seats and it will be held in 8 States and Union Territories. The date of issue of notification is 7 May and the last date for nominations for candidates is 14 May. The Chief Election Commissioner informed that 22 states and UTs including Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Telangana, Kerala, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Meghalaya and Nagaland will go to the polls in a single phase for the Lok Sabha polls. Four states ~ Karnataka, Rajasthan, Manipur and Tripura ~ will go to the polls in two phases while Chhattisgarh and Assam will go to the polls in three phases for the Lok Sabha elections. Three states ~ Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand ~ will have polling in four phases while in Maharashtra and Jammu and Kashmir, the polling will be held in five phases. A total of 96.8 crore voters will be eligible to cast their votes in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Chief Election Commissioner said. He said there will be 10.5 lakh polling stations and 1.5 crore polling officials and security staff will be deployed to conduct the elections in the world's largest democracy. "We are committed to give the nation a truly festive, democratic environment. The term of the 17th Lok Sabha is due to expire on 16th June 2024. The terms of the Legislative Assemblies of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim are also due to expire in June 2024. Elections are due in Jammu and Kashmir," he said. Mr Kumar said approximately 49.7 crore voters are male and 47.1 crore voters are female. "We have 1.8 crore first-time voters and 19.47 crore voters between the age group of 20-29 years," he said, adding that 88.4 lakh voters are of PwD category, 2.18 lakhs are centenarians and 48,000 are transgenders. Mr Kumar said an elaborate security arrangement has been put in place to look after the overall safety of the entire election process. To hold the elections peacefully, the ECI has ensured that the security agencies deal effectively with four ‘M’s ~ Muscle, Money, Misinformation, and MCC violations. “Social media will be monitored and strict action will be taken against rumour-mongering,” he added.