The Lok Sabha election of 2024 will be conducted in seven phases, commencing on April 19, with the counting scheduled for June 4. Phase 1 polling is set for April 19, followed by the second phase on April 26, the third phase on May 7, the fourth phase on May 13, the fifth phase on May 20, the sixth phase on May 25, and the final, seventh phase on June 1. These announcements came within 24 hours of two new election commissioners, Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Sandhu, assuming office.
Regarding the election’s preparedness, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) detailed that 97 crore registered voters, including 47.1 crore women, will have the opportunity to cast their votes. The exercise will involve the use of 55 lakh Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Additionally, voters aged above 85 years and persons with disabilities meeting the 40% benchmark disability can vote from home. While the option of voting from home was available in some previous assembly elections, this will be the first time it will be implemented nationwide in a general election.
Addressing the challenges of the 4Ms (muscle, money, misinformation, and MCC violation), the CEC affirmed the Election Commission’s commitment to curbing violence. Measures such as drone-based surveillance at certain international borders and the establishment of a network of checkpoints throughout the country have been implemented. The EC will adopt a differentiated approach in each state to prevent the misuse of money. To this end, the EC has already conducted meetings with relevant agencies and emphasized the need to crack down on freebies. Banks will be required to provide daily reports of suspicious transactions.
Read This: ‘Charkha to Chips’ Showcases Gujarat’s Journey from Historic Sabarmati Ashram to Dholera-Sanand Industrial Boom
The spread of misinformation will be countered using the IT Act, empowering each state to request the removal of fake social media posts. The EC will also launch a ‘Myth versus Reality’ section on its website. Political parties have been instructed to distribute Model Code of Conduct (MCC) guidelines to all their star campaigners. The CEC issued a warning to campaigners, urging them to refrain from making derogatory remarks, as digital records of such statements may have repercussions.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, held in seven phases from April 11 to May 19, the results were declared on May 23, with the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) securing its second consecutive term by winning a total of 303 seats.
Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Sikkim are expected to hold state assembly elections in April/May. Additionally, Maharashtra, Haryana, and Jharkhand are among the other states scheduled to vote this year. Union territories Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are also slated to hold elections this year. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar mentioned that the Election Commission would decide whether to hold Lok Sabha and Assembly Elections together or separately in Jammu and Kashmir after reviewing the security situation.
This will mark the first election where the NDA will compete against the INDIA bloc, a coalition of opposition and regional parties led by the Congress. Narendra Modi has already initiated the election campaign, setting ambitious targets of ‘400 paar’ seats for the NDA and 370+ for the BJP alone.
Read This: One nation, one election: Ram Nath Kovind-led panel recommends simultaneous polls in 2029
