Fact Check: Viral screenshot containing dates of Lok Sabha elections 2024 is fake

The Election Commission is likely to announce the dates for Lok Sabha polls after March 13. The commission has been visiting multiple states to assess the preparedness for the general elections, and once the panel is completed with the work, the dates will be announced. Amidst this, a WhatsApp message is being widely circulated that contains a list of significant dates for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Fact Check:

The claim is false.

We initially conducted a keyword search for "Lok Sabha election dates," but no news reports or official notifications regarding the schedule were found. However, we came across numerous reports from reputable media outlets (as seen here, here, and here) citing Election Commission sources.

These sources indicated that the Election Commission is likely to announce the Lok Sabha election schedule between March 9 and March 13.

Further, we checked the official website of the Election Commission of India but did not find any press release or circular regarding the dates, thereby confirming that the viral screenshot was depicting a fake schedule.

The Election Commission of India addressed the issue on its official social media account on platform X (formerly Twitter), providing details about the fraudulent message and explicitly stating that the schedule for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 has not been declared.

The ECI emphasized the misinformation, stating: "A false message related to the schedule for #LokSabhaElections2024 is being circulated on WhatsApp. #FactCheck: The message is #Fake. As of now, no dates have been officially announced by #ECI. The Election Schedule will be disclosed through a press conference by the Commission."

Hence, the claim is false. The official dates for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls have not been released. The general elections 2024 schedule in circulation on WhatsApp is fake.