NEW DELHI: Amidst rumours about the government making plans to conduct the Lok Sabha elections earlier this time, other news surfaced today about the date being fixed to April 16th. The Delhi Chief Electoral Officer sent a letter to 11 district officers indicating that Lok Sabha elections may be held in Delhi on April 16 and related matters should be planned. The letter went viral on social media and within no time, rumours spread about elections going to be held on April 16.

The rumours soon lost steam after the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer clarified that the date was given as a 'reference' to the officials to plan activities as per the Election Commission planner. The Central Election Commission was also tagged in the post on X. It is customary to assign tasks in advance by fixing the reference date.

It is suggested that the election may be announced after the budget session of the Parliament which will be held from January 31 to February 9. There is also a possibility that the elections may be held earlier instead of April-May as the central government wants to capitalize on the favourable situation of the Ayodhya Ram temple.

It is learned that the Central Election Commission has instructed the election officers of the states to start preparations.

In 2019, voting was held in seven phases from April 11 to May 19. The result was declared on May 23.