Election Commission changes vote counting for Sikkim, Arunachal assembly polls to June 2

The Election Commission of India has revised the date for counting of votes in the Assembly polls in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim to June 2. Earlier, the counting of votes was to be held on June 4.

The Election Commission of India changed the dates for the polls in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim today, one day after the schedule for the Lok Sabha and assembly elections was revealed. The counting of votes for Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim Assembly polls will now take place on June 2 and not June 4 as announced earlier.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar released the vote schedule for the Assembly elections in four states. There will be assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh on May 13, in Arunachal Pradesh on April 19, and in Sikkim on April 19. Odisha will vote in four phases on May 13 and May 20.

The electoral body stated that both legislative assemblies' terms would expire on June 2 and that, in accordance with Article 324, Article 172(1) of the Indian Constitution, and Section 15 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the Election Commission of India (ECI) must hold the elections prior to the ends of the assemblies' respective terms.

The Commission further informed that the change of date is only for the counting of votes for the assembly elections, while there will be no change in respect of the schedule for the parliamentary constituencies of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.

"There shall be no change in respect of schedule for Parliamentary constituencies of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim," it noted.

The Election Commission of India said on Saturday that the seven phases of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections will take place from April 19 to June 1. On June 4, the results will be announced.

In 2019, elections in Sikkim were held in a single phase and had 4,23,325 voters. However, the north eastern state had witnessed a saffron surge with BJP winning 41 seats in the 60-member Arunachal Pradesh Assembly. Both the Lok Sabha seats, too, were won by BJP. Kiren Rijiju was one of the BJP top guns to win from Arunachal.