India will vote in seven phases from April 19 to elect a new Parliament, the country’s Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar announced on Saturday (March 16, 2024).
The counting of votes will take place on June 4.
“We are committed to giving the nation a truly festive, democratic environment,” CEC Rajiv Kumar said while addressing a press conference.
At least 96.8 crore (968 million) registered voters are expected to exercise their voting rights in the country in 2024.
“We have 1.8 crore (18 million) first-time voters and 19.47 crore (194 million) voters between the age group of 20-29 years,” Kumar said.
Strict action against violence
Kumar said action will be taken if reports of violence emerge from any corner of the country.
“There is no place for bloodbath and violence in the elections,” he said.
4M challenges
He said muscle, money, misinformation, and MCC violations are the ‘4Ms’ that pose a challenge before the ECI in conducting free and fair elections.
He said: “ECI is committed and has put in place measures to deal with these disruptive challenges.”
Misinformation to be tackled
Promising to take action against misinformation, Kumar said fake social media posts will be taken down.
He said: “Tackling misinformation in today’s digital age is complex. We have put certain measures in place to ensure misinformation is nipped in the bud. We’re proactive in debunking fake news. Originators of fake news to be dealt with severely as per extant laws.”
He said 10.5 lakh (1.05 million) polling booths will be set up across India to conduct elections.
He said, “Over 85 lakh (8.5 million) 1st-time women voters will participate in this year’s election.”
“Gender ratio is above 1,000 in 12 states where the number of women voters is more than men,” he said.
State Assembly polls
Assembly polls will be held simultaneously in Sikkim, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh with the seven-phased Lok Sabha elections.
Voting in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim will take place on April 19, while Andhra Pradesh will vote to elect a new Assembly on May 13.
In Odisha, two-phased Assembly polls will be held on May 25 and June 1.
When did India vote in the last Lok Sabha elections?
India last voted to elect a new Lok Sabha in 2019.
After winning the polls in 2014 by defeating the Congress-led UPA regime, Indian PM Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party returned to power for a second term by registering a thumping victory in the general polls in 2019.
If voted to power, Modi will be second first Prime Minister of India after former and first PM Jawaharlal Nehru to win three terms.
In his recent campaigns, the Indian PM has set a target of 370 seats for BJP and 400-plus for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The BJP had won 303 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the best performance of the political outfit since its formation in 1980.
In the upcoming poll battle, Modi and his BJP-led NDA will face a challenge from an alliance stitched by several political outfits named INDIA or the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance.
What is Lok Sabha?
The Lok Sabha or the Lower House of the Indian Parliament is composed of representatives of people chosen by direct election on the basis of adult suffrage.
The maximum strength of the House envisaged by the Constitution is now 552 (530 members to represent States, 20 to represent Union Territories, and not more than two members of the Anglo-Indian community to be nominated by the President, if, in his/her opinion, that community is not adequately represented in the House).
The total elective membership of the Lok Sabha is distributed among States in such a way that the ratio between the number of seats allotted to each State and population of the State is, as far as practicable, the same for all States, reads the Indian government’s Know India website.
The Lok Sabha at present consists of 545 members.
Of these, 530 members are directly elected from the States and 13 from Union Territories, while two are nominated by the President to represent the Anglo-Indian community.