Since gaining independence, India’s general elections have captivated the attention of nations worldwide. Renowned as the largest democracy on the planet, India’s electoral process, held every five years, stands as a monumental event, both in scale and significance. With the world’s largest population, the country hosts one of the most extensive and costly electoral exercises globally. Western and neighbouring countries’ media precisely track every development, underscoring the elections’ profound impact and relevance beyond India’s borders.
From this election onwards a special service is provided to voters more than 85 years old to vote from home as an option. The initiative is introduced first time in the history of general elections for Persons with Disabilities (PwD) with the benchmark of 40% disability to choose to cast their votes from home as volunteers reaching the place of elder voters and marking their vote, making the elections more accessible for elderly citizens and will help in increasing voter turnout.
General Elections 2024
The inaugural general elections of India, spanning from October 25, 1951, to February 21, 1952, marked a pivotal moment in the nation’s history. These elections were conducted to elect 489 members of the Lok Sabha, the Lower House of Parliament. Notably, alongside the Lok Sabha elections, numerous state legislature elections were also held concurrently, showcasing the scale and significance of India’s democratic process.
In the history of elections this will be the largest democratic exercise over 960 million voters participating. This time the NDA alliance led by the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) is expected to face challenges against newly formed INDIA alliance led by the Indian National Congress (INC) including 26 various national and state parties like Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), TrinaMool Congress (TMC) Dravida Munnetram Kazagham (DMK) just before 9 months of the general elections.
The election is supposed to be conducted in 7 phases all over the country between April 19, 2024, to June 1, 2024, and the result is expected to be out on June 4, 2024.
The upcoming general election in India is poised to make a significant global impact, as it represents the largest democratic exercise in history in the world’s largest democracy. With an estimated cost of $8.5 billion, the election is set to be a monumental event. The opposition’s primary focus is on criticising BJP’s policies, particularly regarding issues such as unemployment, freedom of the press, economic growth, and the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, the BJP is expected to emphasize India’s rising global stature, welfare schemes implemented under PM Modi’s leadership, economic progress, and criticism of what they perceive as a weak opposition.