Lok Sabha polls: CEC, ECs to visit Andhra Pradesh on January 8 to review preparations

New Delhi: The chief election commissioner and the two election commissioners will visit Andhra Pradesh on Monday to conduct a review of the state's preparedness for the Lok Sabha polls, due in April-May, officials said.

The assembly elections in the state are likely to be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioners Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel will be in Andhra Pradesh on January 8 evening, officials said.

According to an earlier plan, the poll panel was to visit Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh from January 7 to 10. The plan has been revised and the poll panel will visit Tamil Nadu later to review the state's preparedness for the Lok Sabha polls.

A team of deputy election commissioners and other senior officers has visited almost all the states to oversee the preparations for the Lok Sabha polls.

It is usual for the CEC and ECs to tour states ahead of assembly or Lok Sabha elections to meet political parties, senior police and administrative officials and the poll machinery on the ground.

It is not yet certain whether they will visit all the states and Union territories. They may skip states where assembly polls were held recently.

In 2019, the Lok Sabha elections were announced on March 10 and held in seven phases from April 11 to May 19. Votes were counted on May 23.