On Sunday, the Election Commission declared dates for Lok Sabha Elections 2019. Chief Elections Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora announced that elections for the 17th Lok Sabha shall be held in seven phases. The elections will start on April 11th and continue till May 19th. The counting will be held on May 23rd.

The announcement spurred a new political debate since Ramzan, which is a month of rigorous fasting for the Muslim community, is expected to begin on May 5 which coincides with polling schedule in several states. AAP leader Sanjay Singh said that dates were deliberately kept this way so that less number of Muslim voters would show up at the polling booths, thus harming AAP’s interests.

Many political leaders had their opinions on the controversy, but CM Yogi Adityanath’s statement was not just an opinion but also a suggestion. To ensure Muslim voters do not get troubled because of the election dates concurring with Ramzan, Yogi Adityanath has announced that Ramzan shall be shifted to sometime post-elections.