CEC recognises heatwave impact, aims to conclude next Lok Sabha elections by end of April

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₹10,000 crore during the seven-phase Lok Sabha election that commenced on 19 April and concluded on 1 June. The seizures include cash, freebies, drugs, and liquor, were made during the 2024 polls as compared to ₹3,500 crore in 2019.CEC Rajiv Kumar said the poll panel will soon start the election process in Jammu and Kashmir.Over 90% of 495 complaints of Model Code of Conduct violations were disposed of during the 2024 polls, Kumar said.Nearly 400,000 vehicles, 135 special trains and 1,692 air sorties were used for conducting the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and only 39 repolls took place this year as against 540 repolls in 2019, he said.Before the seventh and last phase of the elections, most of northern and central India was in the grip of extreme heatwave conditions on 28 May with the mercury crossing 50 degrees Celsius in Rajasthan's Churu and Haryana's Sirsa and settling nine notches above normal in Delhi.On social media memes calling election commissioners ‘Laapataa Gentlemen’, inspired by the recent film ‘Laapataa Ladies’, Kumar said, “We were always here, never went missing".However, on most of the charges from opposition parties, the CEC said that it was a narrative aimed at “misleading" the election process.The CEC addressed the press conference a day after the INDIA bloc urged the poll panel to ensure that postal ballots are counted and their results declared before the outcome of the electronic voting machines (EVMs) is announced.During the previous Lok Sabha elections, deputy election commissioners used to hold media briefings after each phase.