India stepped closer to holding the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections as the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the schedule of the six-week marathon vote. India will hold a seven-phase general election starting on April 19, with the results to be declared on June 4. Nearly 970 million voters, more than the entire population of the US, the EU and Russia combined, are eligible to cast their ballot. The ECI also announced the dates for the Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, to be held simultaneously. India Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third straight term and has set a target of 370 seats for his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).