The Election Commission has made an alteration to the schedule for the upcoming Assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, advancing the date of vote counting from June 4 to June 2.
This modification does not affect the voting dates for both the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the aforementioned States, which are slated for the first phase on April 19.
However, the counting of votes for the Lok Sabha elections will remain on June 4, synchronised with other States’ schedules.
In an official statement, the Election Commission clarified its decision, stating, “The Election Commission is to conduct election to Legislative Assemblies of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim before the cessation of their terms… The term of house of both the Legislative Assemblies of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim is due to expire on June 2. In view of this, the Commission has decided to amend the schedule.”
Earlier, the EC had unveiled the election schedule for the Lok Sabha polls and elections in four States, including Odisha and Arunachal Pradesh.
In Arunachal Pradesh, authorities reported the seizure of Rs 59 lakh in cash from a vehicle in Lower Subansiri district shortly after the election announcement. The cash was confiscated from an individual named Boa Terry, travelling in a vehicle from Ziro to Kamle district.
The incident is under investigation by the IT Department, given the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct.
