Law ministry gets additional Rs 666.66 crore to conduct LS poll

There is a possibility that the EC may go by precedent and hold assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh along with the Lok Sabha polls.

The law ministry has been allocated an additional sum of over Rs 666 crore for conduct of Lok Sabha elections due this summer.

According to Vote on Account 2019-2020, an additional provision has been made for the law ministry of Rs 666.66 crore (voted) in revenue section for conduct of the polls.

The law ministry is the administrative ministry for the Election Commission. Certain funds are also allocated to the home ministry for elections which is largely used for transportation and logistics related to security personnel.

Some of the amount spent by the home ministry is later reimbursed by the law ministry.

Separately, the Election Commission has been allocated an additional Rs 12.14 crore (voted) in revenue section and Rs 16.67 crore (voted) in capital section for voters' awareness campaign under and for acquisition of land from DDA for construction of office building.

The Lok Sabha elections are a mega exercise involving thousands of polling personnel and security forces.

The term of the present Lok Sabha ends on June 3 and the next House to be formed before that.

There is a possibility that the EC may go by precedent and hold assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh along with the Lok Sabha polls.

Since the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly was prematurely dissolved, the EC is bound to hold fresh polls there within six months.

It was dissolved in November 2018 and the upper limit ends in May. The poll panel may hold elections in Jammu and Kashmir along with the Lok Sabha polls as well. But it can be held before that also as much depends on the security situation there.

While the term of the Sikkim Assembly ends on May 27, the terms of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Arunachal Pradesh assemblies end on June 18, June 11 and June 1 respectively.

In 2004, the Election Commission had announced four-phase Lok Sabha polls on February 29. While the first date of poll was April 20, the last date was May 10

In 2009, the EC had announced Lok Sabha poll scheduled on March 2. The five-phase polls began on April 16 and ended on May 13.

In 2014, the EC had announced the election schedule on March 5 and the nine-phase electoral exercise was spread across April and May.

While the first phase polling was on April 7, the last phase was on May 12.