India to vote in seven phases from April 19 to elect a new Parliament, counting of votes on June 4

India will vote in seven phases from April 19 to elect a new Parliament, the nation’s Chief Election (*19*) Rajiv Kumar introduced on Saturday (March 16, 2024).

The counting of votes will happen on June 4.

“We are dedicated to giving the nation a really festive, democratic setting,” CEC Rajiv Kumar mentioned whereas addressing a press convention.

At least 96.8 crore (968 million) registered voters are anticipated to train their voting rights in the nation 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 mentioned.

Strict motion in opposition to violence

Kumar mentioned motion will likely be taken if stories of violence emerge from any nook of the nation.

“There isn’t any place for massacre and violence in the elections,” he mentioned.

4M challenges

He mentioned muscle, cash, misinformation, and MCC violations are the ‘4Ms’ that pose a problem earlier than the ECI in conducting free and truthful elections.

He mentioned: “ECI is dedicated and has put in place measures to take care of these disruptive challenges.”

Misinformation to be tackled

Promising to take motion in opposition to misinformation, Kumar mentioned faux social media posts will likely be taken down.

He mentioned: “Tackling misinformation in immediately’s digital age is advanced. We have put sure measures in place to guarantee misinformation is nipped in the bud. We’re proactive in debunking faux information. Originators of faux information to be handled severely as per extant legal guidelines.”

He mentioned 10.5 lakh (1.05 million) polling cubicles will likely be arrange throughout India to conduct elections.

He mentioned, “Over 85 lakh (8.5 million) 1st-time ladies voters will take part in this yr’s election.”

“Gender ratio is above 1,000 in 12 states the place the quantity of ladies voters is greater than males,” he mentioned.

State Assembly polls

Assembly polls will likely be held concurrently in Sikkim, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh with the seven-phased Lok Sabha elections.

Voting in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim will happen on April 19, whereas Andhra Pradesh will vote to elect a new Assembly on May 13.

In Odisha, two-phased Assembly polls will likely be held on May 25 and June 1.

When did India vote in the final Lok Sabha elections?

India final voted to elect a new Lok Sabha in 2019.

After successful the polls in 2014 by defeating the Congress-led UPA regime, Indian PM Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party returned to energy for a second time period by registering a thumping victory in the overall polls in 2019.

If voted to energy, Modi will likely be second first Prime Minister of India after former and first PM Jawaharlal Nehru to win three phrases.

In his latest campaigns, the Indian PM has set a goal of 370 seats for BJP and 400-plus for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

The BJP had received 303 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the perfect efficiency of the political outfit since its formation in 1980.

In the upcoming ballot battle, Modi and his BJP-led NDA will face a problem from an alliance stitched by a number of 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 consists of representatives of folks chosen by direct election on the premise of grownup suffrage.

The most power of the House envisaged by the Constitution is now 552 (530 members to characterize States, 20 to characterize Union Territories, and less than two members of the Anglo-Indian neighborhood to be nominated by the President, if, in his/her opinion, that neighborhood isn’t adequately represented in the House).

The whole elective membership of the Lok Sabha is distributed amongst States in such a means that the ratio between the quantity of seats allotted to every State and inhabitants of the State is, so far as practicable, the identical for all States, reads the Indian authorities’s Know India web site.

The Lok Sabha at current consists of 545 members.

Of these, 530 members are instantly elected from the States and 13 from Union Territories, whereas two are nominated by the President to characterize the Anglo-Indian neighborhood.