"A final decision on IPL venues will be taken after getting the schedule of general elections," Board of Control for Cricket in India president N Srinivasan said after a meeting in Bhubaneswar on Friday.
"If necessary, part of the matches would be played abroad."
A tentative schedule was drawn up at the meeting, where it was decided that the last fortnight of the tournament, in all likelihood, would be played in India.
Based on the IPL's governing council's recommendations, the working committee was briefed that South Africa, UAE and Bangladesh were the main contenders.
South Africa, having hosted the IPL in 2009, were the front-runners with "lack of turnouts at the stadium" being the only concern, a member who attended the working committee meeting was quoted as saying.
It was the 2009 event that led to the bonus scandal at Cricket SA and the eventual ousting of its CEO Gerald Majola in 2012.
Majola was sacked for the non-disclosure of bonuses from the IPL and ICC Champions' League, both hosted by South Africa in the same year.