Term ending on June 2: EC advances counting date for Arunachal, Sikkim Assembly polls by 2 days

“The term of both the Legislative Assemblies of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim is due to expire on 02.06.2024. In view of this, the Commission has decided to amend [the dates],” the EC said.

The date before which the Assembly elections shall be completed was also changed from June 6 to June 2.

The two states go to polls on April 19. “There shall be no change in respect of schedule for Parliamentary constituencies of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim,” the EC said, meaning that counting for the Lok Sabha seats would be held with the rest of the country, on June 4.

The term of the 17th Lok Sabha is ending on June 16.

While announcing the election schedules, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar had on March 16 said the term of the two Assemblies would end on June 2, while the counting date he announced was June 4, two days after the end of the term.

An EC spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment on the change. Sources, however, said the gazette notification of the new Assemblies was likely to be issued on the same day (June 2) and the new Houses could meet after that.

Last time, the Assemblies met for the first time on June 3, 2019, so the elections would be completed and the notifications would be issued a day before, they said.

As per Article 172 (1) of the Constitution, the term of the legislative Assembly is for five years from the “date appointed for its first meeting and no longer”, after which the Assembly is dissolved.

According to a former CEC, however, this appeared to be unprecedented that the elections were being concluded on the day of the end of the term of the House. The former CEC said the commission plans elections well in advance to complete the process at least a day before the end of the legislature’s term.

This is not the first time that the EC has changed the poll schedule after announcing. In the last round of Assembly elections in 2023, the EC had announced that votes would be counted for the Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram elections on December 3, a Sunday. Then, just days before the counting, the EC announced on December 1 that the counting of votes in Mizoram would be held on December 4, a Monday. The EC had said Sundays “hold special significance for the people of Mizoram”, referring to the Christian-majority population of the state that attends church services on Sundays.

While announcing the election schedule on March 16, the CEC said weather, festivals, examinations and availability of security forces were considered before deciding the election dates.