India's Election Commission to announce dates for general elections on March 16
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Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, along with newly elected commissioners will announce date
(Reuters) – India's election panel said on Friday it would announce dates for general elections at 3 pm local time (0930 GMT) on March 16.
According to India Today, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, accompanied by the newly elected Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu will announce the poll dates.
The press conference will be livestreamed.
Former bureaucrats Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh were shortlisted from a list of six candidates. They took charge earlier in the day, nearly a week after Arun Goel resigned as the election commissioner in a move that shocked many.
Kumar and Singh replaced Anup Chandra Pandey and Goel. Pandey demitted office on February 14 upon attaining the age of 65 years.
Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh's appointment came after a meeting of a three-member high-level selection panel headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the BJP, is looking for a third straight victory in the Lok Sabha elections, as the Congress-led INDIA alliance hopes to put up a strong fight.
