A circular in the name of the Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi is being widely shared across social media platforms, claiming that the Election Commission of India has released the schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and that the polls will be held on 16 April 2024. Through this article let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: 2024 Lok Sabha Elections to be held on 16 April – Circular in the name of Chief Electoral Officer, Delhi
Fact: The circulated document is not the actual schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi clarified that it is an internal circular and was issued with an imaginary poll date to alert the district administration about the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. According to media reports, the actual schedule is likely to be released in late February or early March of 2024. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
Although the circular shared in the name of the Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi regarding the arrangements for the election of the Lok Sabha seats in Delhi is true, the date mentioned in the circular is not the actual election date. It is only a reference date established for advance planning. It may be noted that the circular that is going viral also clearly mentions that this is a provisional date fixed for reference.
While searching for information regarding this circular, we came across a tweet from the Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi clarifying this matter. According to the CEO of Delhi, the date mentioned in the circular is for reference only, as per the instructions of the Election Commission of India. Its purpose is to facilitate advance planning accordingly.
He clarified that setting a reference date allows for advance planning of election arrangements and management. Explaining that a significant portion of the election management responsibility falls on the District Election Officers/Returning Officers, an internal circular has been issued with a fictitious polling date to alert the district administration in the context of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
This explanation from the Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi makes it clear that the document being circulated is not the actual schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Meanwhile, the official schedule for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections has not been released yet. According to media reports, the schedule is expected to be announced in late February or early March of 2024.
To sum it up, this document does not represent the official schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. It is merely an internal circular with tentative dates intended to alert the administration.
