This article documents a current election. Information may change rapidly as the election progresses until official results have been published. Initial news reports may be
unreliable, and the
last updates to this article
may not reflect the most current information. (April 2024) |
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All 543 seats in the Lok Sabha 272 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Opinion polls | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Seats by constituency. As this is a
FPTP election, seat totals are not determined proportional to each party's total vote share, but instead by the plurality in each constituency. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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General elections are being held in India from 19 April to 1 June 2024 in seven phases, to elect 543 members of the Lok Sabha. The votes will be counted and the results will be declared on 4 June 2024.
This is the largest-ever election in history, surpassing the 2019 Indian general election, and lasts 44 days, second only to the 1951–52 Indian general election. The incumbent prime minister Narendra Modi, who completed a second term, is running for a third consecutive term.
Approximately 970 million people out of a population of 1.4 billion people are eligible to vote. [1] [2] [3] The state legislative assembly elections in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Sikkim are to be held simultaneously with the general election, along with the by-elections for 25 seats in 12 legislative assemblies.
India has a multi-party system with two major parties, namely the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Indian National Congress dominating the politics at the national level. The Bharatiya Janata Party has governed the country with Narendra Modi at the helm since 2014. The tenure of the 17th Lok Sabha is scheduled to end on 16 June 2024. [4] The previous general election was held in April–May 2019, after which the, National Democratic Alliance, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, formed the union government, with Modi continuing as Prime Minister. [5]
Article 83 of the Constitution of India requires elections to the Lok Sabha to be held once every five years. [6] All 543 elected MPs are elected from single-member constituencies using first-past-the-post voting. [7] The 104th amendment to the constitution abolished the two seats that were reserved for the Anglo-Indian community. [8]
Eligible voters must be Indian citizens, 18 years or older, ordinary resident of the polling area of the constituency and registered to vote (name included in the electoral rolls), possess a valid voter identification card issued by the Election Commission of India or equivalent. [9] Some people convicted of electoral or other offenses are barred from voting. [10] Indians holding foreign citizenship are also barred from voting. There is no postal or online absentee voting in India; members of the Indian diaspora are required to travel back to their home constituencies in order to cast a ballot. [11]
For the 2024 election, 968 million people are eligible to vote, an increase of about 150 million people from the 2019 election. [12] In Arunachal Pradesh, a polling station will be set up for the only registered voter in the village of Malogam, due to electoral laws that stipulate voting booths to be placed within two kilometers from all settlements. [13] [14] [15] Polling stations will also be set up inside a wildlife sanctuary in Kerala and in a shipping container in Gujarat, [16] as well as in 320 relief camps hosting some 59,000 people displaced during interethnic violence in Manipur. [17]
In March 2024, the Supreme Court of India rejected a petition by the Congress Party to end the usage of electronic voting machines and revert to paper ballots and manual counting, which was the system used in elections until the late 1990s, with the party citing risks of electoral fraud. [18] Nearly 5.5 million electronic voting machines will be utilized for more than one million polling stations, while 15 million election workers and security personnel will be tasked with managing the conduct of the election. [15]
Key processes during a Lok Sabha election include monitoring campaign expenditure, preventing illicit goods, and ensuring adherence to the Model Code of Conduct. In the final 48 hours, campaigns halt, and measures are implemented to maintain order and prevent disruptions. Polling day involves strict rules to prevent undue influence, ensuring a smooth and secure election process. EVMs are sealed and stored with tight security, while Booth Level Officers assist voters. The exercise requires meticulous planning to ensure free, fair, and peaceful elections. [19]
The election schedule for the 18th Lok Sabha was announced by the Election Commission of India on 16 March 2024, [20] [21] and with it the Model Code of Conduct came into effect. [22] The tenure of the 17th Lok Sabha is scheduled to end on 16 June 2024. [23]
Poll event | Phase | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
Notification date | 20 March | 28 March | 12 April | 18 April | 26 April | 29 April | 7 May |
Last date for filing nomination | 27 March | 4 April | 19 April | 25 April | 3 May | 6 May | 14 May |
Scrutiny of nomination | 28 March | 5 April | 20 April | 26 April | 4 May | 7 May | 15 May |
Last date for withdrawal of nomination | 30 March | 8 April | 22 April | 29 April | 6 May | 9 May | 17 May |
Date of poll | 19 April | 26 April | 7 May | 13 May | 20 May | 25 May | 1 June |
Date of counting of votes | 4 June 2024 | ||||||
No. of constituencies | 101+1⁄2 | 87+1⁄2 | 95 | 96 | 49 | 57 | 57 |
State/Union territory | Total constituencies |
Election dates and number of constituencies | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Phase 1 | Phase 2 | Phase 3 | Phase 4 | Phase 5 | Phase 6 | Phase 7 | ||
19 April | 26 April | 7 May | 13 May | 20 May | 25 May | 1 June | ||
Andhra Pradesh | 25 | 25 | ||||||
Arunachal Pradesh | 2 | 2 | ||||||
Assam | 14 | 5 | 5 | 4 | ||||
Bihar | 40 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 |
Chhattisgarh | 11 | 1 | 3 | 7 | ||||
Goa | 2 | 2 | ||||||
Gujarat | 26 | 26 | ||||||
Haryana | 10 | 10 | ||||||
Himachal Pradesh | 4 | 4 | ||||||
Jharkhand | 14 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | |||
Karnataka | 28 | 14 | 14 | |||||
Kerala | 20 | 20 | ||||||
Madhya Pradesh | 29 | 6 | 6 [a] | 9 [a] | 8 | |||
Maharashtra | 48 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 13 | ||
Manipur | 2 | 1+1⁄2 [b] | 1⁄2 [b] | |||||
Meghalaya | 2 | 2 | ||||||
Mizoram | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Nagaland | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Odisha | 21 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | |||
Punjab | 13 | 13 | ||||||
Rajasthan | 25 | 12 | 13 | |||||
Sikkim | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Tamil Nadu | 39 | 39 | ||||||
Telangana | 17 | 17 | ||||||
Tripura | 2 | 1 | 1 | |||||
Uttar Pradesh | 80 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 |
Uttarakhand | 5 | 5 | ||||||
West Bengal | 42 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Chandigarh | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu |
2 | 2 | ||||||
Delhi | 7 | 7 | ||||||
Jammu and Kashmir | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
Ladakh | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Lakshadweep | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Puducherry | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Total constituencies | 543 | 101+1⁄2 | 87+1⁄2 | 95 | 96 | 49 | 57 | 57 |
Total constituencies by end of phase |
– | 101+1⁄2 | 189 | 285 | 380 | 429 | 486 | 543 |
Percentage complete by end of phase |
– | 18.69 | 34.80 | 52.48 | 69.98 | 79.01 | 89.50 | 100 |
The politics of India has become increasingly bipolar in the run-up to the 2024 Indian general elections with two major alliances emerging; the incumbent NDA (National Democratic Alliance) and the opposition INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance). Six national parties are contesting the 2024 Indian general elections: BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), INC (Indian National Congress), CPI(M) (Communist Party of India (Marxist)), BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party), NPP (National People's Party) and AAP (Aam Aadmi Party) with all except the BSP being a part of one of the two alliances.
The National Democratic Alliance, abbreviated as NDA ( IAST: Rāṣhṭrīya Jānātāntrik Gaṭhabandhan) is a big-tent, mostly centre-right to right-wing political alliance led by the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Party | State/UTs | Seats Contested | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Bharatiya Janata Party | Uttar Pradesh | 75 | 443 [26] | |
West Bengal | 42 | |||
Maharashtra | 30 | |||
Madhya Pradesh | 29 | |||
Gujarat | 26 | |||
Rajasthan | 25 | |||
Karnataka | 25 | |||
Tamil Nadu | 23 | |||
Odisha | 21 | |||
Bihar | 17 | |||
Telangana | 17 | |||
Kerala | 16 | |||
Jharkhand | 13 | |||
Punjab | 13 | |||
Assam | 11 | |||
Chhattisgarh | 11 | |||
Haryana | 10 | |||
Delhi | 7 | |||
Andhra Pradesh | 6 | |||
Uttarakhand | 5 | |||
Himachal Pradesh | 4 | |||
Arunachal Pradesh | 2 | |||
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | 2 | |||
Goa | 2 | |||
Jammu and Kashmir | 2 | |||
Tripura | 2 | |||
Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 1 | |||
Chandigarh | 1 | |||
Ladakh | 1 | |||
Manipur | 1 | |||
Mizoram | 1 | |||
Puducherry | 1 | |||
Sikkim | 1 | |||
Telugu Desam Party | Andhra Pradesh | 17 | ||
Janata Dal (United) | Bihar | 16 [27] | ||
Shiv Sena | Maharashtra | 13 | ||
Pattali Makkal Katchi | Tamil Nadu | 10 | ||
Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) | Bihar | 5 | ||
Nationalist Congress Party | Maharashtra | 4 | 5 | |
Lakshadweep | 1 | |||
Bharath Dharma Jana Sena | Kerala | 4 | ||
Janata Dal (Secular) | Karnataka | 3 | ||
Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) | Tamil Nadu | 3 | ||
Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam | Tamil Nadu | 2 | ||
Apna Dal (Soneylal) | Uttar Pradesh | 2 | ||
Asom Gana Parishad | Assam | 2 | ||
Jana Sena Party | Andhra Pradesh | 2 | ||
National People's Party | Meghalaya | 2 | ||
Rashtriya Lok Dal | Uttar Pradesh | 2 | ||
All Jharkhand Students Union | Jharkhand | 1 | ||
Hindustani Awam Morcha | Bihar | 1 | ||
Independent | Tamil Nadu | 1 | ||
Naga People's Front | Manipur | 1 | ||
Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party | Nagaland | 1 | ||
Rashtriya Lok Morcha | Bihar | 1 | ||
Rashtriya Samaj Paksha | Maharashtra | 1 | ||
Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party | Uttar Pradesh | 1 | ||
United People's Party Liberal | Assam | 1 | ||
Total | 540 |
The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, abbreviated as INDIA ( IAST: Bhāratīya Rāṣṭrīya Vikāsaśīla Samāveśī Gaṭhabaṃdhana) is a big-tent, mostly centre-left to left-wing bloc of opposition parties. [28] [29]
On the run up to the general election numerous opposition parties met to form a new opposition alliance to defeat the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. After numerous talks 24 political parties came together to form the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).
Parties | States/UTs | Seats contested | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Indian National Congress | Karnataka | 28 | 328 | |
Madhya Pradesh | 28 | |||
Gujarat | 23 | |||
Andhra Pradesh | 23 | |||
Rajasthan | 22 | |||
1 | ||||
Odisha | 19 | |||
Maharashtra | 17 | |||
Telangana | 17 | |||
Uttar Pradesh | 17 | |||
Kerala | 16 | |||
West Bengal | 13 | |||
Assam | 13 | |||
Punjab | 13 | |||
Chhattisgarh | 11 | |||
Bihar | 9 | |||
Haryana | 9 | |||
Tamil Nadu | 9 | |||
Jharkhand | 7 | |||
Uttarakhand | 5 | |||
Himachal Pradesh | 4 | |||
Delhi | 3 | |||
Arunachal Pradesh | 2 | |||
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | 2 | |||
Goa | 2 | |||
Jammu and Kashmir | 2 | |||
Manipur | 2 | |||
Meghalaya | 2 | |||
Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 1 | |||
Chandigarh | 1 | |||
Ladakh | 1 | |||
Lakshadweep | 1 | |||
Mizoram | 1 | |||
Nagaland | 1 | |||
Puducherry | 1 | |||
Sikkim | 1 | |||
Tripura | 1 | |||
Samajwadi Party | Uttar Pradesh | 62 | 63 | |
Gujarat | 1 | |||
Communist Party of India (Marxist) | West Bengal | 23 | 54 [34] | |
Kerala | 15 | |||
Maharashtra | 2 | |||
Tamil Nadu | 2 | |||
Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 1 | |||
Andhra Pradesh | 1 | |||
Assam | 1 | |||
Bihar | 1 | |||
Jharkhand | 1 | |||
Karnataka | 1 | |||
Odisha | 1 | |||
Punjab | 1 | |||
Rajasthan | 1 | |||
Telangana | 1 | |||
Tripura | 1 | |||
All India Trinamool Congress | West Bengal | 42 [35] | 48 | |
Assam | 4 [36] | |||
Meghalaya | 1 [37] | |||
Uttar Pradesh | 1 [38] | |||
Communist Party of India | Jharkhand | 8 [39] | 27 | |
Uttar Pradesh | 5 [40] | |||
Kerala | 4 [41] | |||
Madhya Pradesh | 2 | |||
Tamil Nadu | 2 [42] | |||
West Bengal | 2 [43] | |||
Andhra Pradesh | 1 | |||
Assam | 1 | |||
Bihar | 1 | |||
Chhattisgarh | 1 | |||
Maharashtra | 1 | |||
Odisha | 1 | |||
Rashtriya Janata Dal | Bihar | 23 | 24 | |
Jharkhand | 1 | |||
Bharat Adivasi Party | Rajasthan | 5 | 23 | |
1 | ||||
Madhya Pradesh | 5 | |||
Maharashtra | 4 | |||
Andhra Pradesh | 2 | |||
Gujarat | 2 | |||
Jharkhand | 2 | |||
Chhattisgarh | 1 | |||
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | 1 | |||
Aam Aadmi Party | Punjab | 13 | 22 | |
Delhi | 4 | |||
Assam | 2 | |||
Gujarat | 2 | |||
Haryana | 1 | |||
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | Tamil Nadu | 21 | ||
Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) | Maharashtra | 21 | ||
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) | Maharashtra | 10 | 11 | |
Lakshadweep | 1 | |||
All India Forward Bloc | Maharashtra | 3 | 9 | |
West Bengal | 3 | |||
Jammu and Kashmir | 2 | |||
Bihar | 1 | |||
Madhya Pradesh | 1 | |||
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha | Jharkhand | 5 | 6 | |
Odisha | 1 | |||
Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation | Bihar | 3 | 4 | |
Jharkhand | 1 | |||
Revolutionary Socialist Party | West Bengal | 3 [44] | 4 | |
Kerala | 1 [45] | |||
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi | Tamil Nadu | 2 [46] | 4 | |
Karnataka | 1 | |||
Kerala | 1 | |||
Indian Union Muslim League | Kerala | 2 [45] | 3 | |
Tamil Nadu | 1 [47] | |||
Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | Jammu and Kashmir | 3 | ||
Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party | Jammu and Kashmir | 3 | ||
Vikassheel Insaan Party | Bihar | 3 [48] | ||
Assam Jatiya Parishad | Assam | 1 | ||
Kerala Congress | Kerala | 1 | ||
Kerala Congress (M) | Kerala | 1 | ||
Kongunadu Makkal Desia Katchi | Tamil Nadu | 1 | ||
Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | Tamil Nadu | 1 | ||
Rashtriya Loktantrik Party | Rajasthan | 1 | ||
Total | 680 |
Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati announced that her party will contest the election on its own in most states and ally with other non-BJP, non-Congress parties in Telangana and Haryana. [49]
On 11 May 2023, Biju Janata Dal leader and Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik said that his party will go alone for the Lok Sabha polls. [50]
Party/Alliance | States/UTs | Seats Contested | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Bahujan Samaj Party | Uttar Pradesh | 80 | TBD | |
West Bengal | 40 | |||
Bihar | 40 | |||
Tamil Nadu | ||||
Madhya Pradesh | ||||
Karnataka | ||||
Gujarat | ||||
Rajasthan | 25 | |||
Andhra Pradesh | ||||
Odisha | ||||
Kerala | 18 | |||
Telangana | ||||
Punjab | ||||
Chhattisgarh | 11 | |||
Goa | 2 | |||
Andaman and Nicobar Island | 1 | |||
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | 1 | |||
Puducherry | 1 | |||
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | Tamil Nadu | 34 | 36 | |
Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 1 | |||
Puducherry | 1 | |||
Naam Tamilar Katchi | Tamil Nadu | 39 | 40 | |
Puduchery | 1 | |||
YSR Congress Party | Andhra Pradesh | 25 | ||
Biju Janata Dal | Odisha | 21 | ||
Bharat Rashtra Samithi | Telangana | 17 | ||
Shiromani Akali Dal | Punjab | |||
Jannayak Janta Party | Haryana | |||
Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) | Uttar Pradesh | |||
Madhya Pradesh | ||||
Chhattisgarh | 3 | |||
Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi | Maharashtra | |||
Indian Secular Front | West Bengal | 8 | ||
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen | Telangana | 1 | ||
Indian National Lok Dal | Haryana | |||
Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party | Jammu and Kashmir | |||
Gondwana Ganatantra Party | Madhya Pradesh | |||
Chhattisgarh | 9 | |||
Maharashtra | ||||
Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam | Tamil Nadu | 5 | ||
All India United Democratic Front | Assam | 3 | ||
Bodoland People's Front | Assam | 4 | ||
Revolutionary Goans Party | Goa | 2 | ||
Mizo National Front | Mizoram | 1 | ||
Sikkim Democratic Front | Sikkim | 1 | ||
Sikkim Krantikari Morcha | Sikkim | 1 | ||
Voice of the People Party | Meghalaya | 1 | ||
United Democratic Party | Meghalaya | 1 | ||
Zoram People's Movement | Mizoram | 1 |
The prime ministerial candidate for the 2024 general election of the NDA alliance is the incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi. [51] [52] The prime ministerial candidate of the INDIA bloc will be decided after the 2024 polls. [53] [54]
The BJP announced its first list of 195 candidates on 2 March 2024 [55] [56] and the second list of 72 candidates was published in 13 March, [57] while the third list of nine candidates was announced on 21 March. [58] The fourth list of 15 candidates was released on 22 March, [59] followed by the declaration of fifth list of 111 candidates on 24 March [60] and the sixth list of three candidates on 26 March. [61] The seventh list of two candidates was announced on 27 March [62] and the eighth list of eleven candidates was published on 30 March, [63] while the ninth list of just one candidate was released on 31 March. [64] The tenth list, comprising nine candidates, was released on 10 April [65] and the eleventh list, comprising one candidate, was released on 11 April, [66] followed by the announcement of twelvth list of seven candidates on 16 April. [67] The thirteenth and fourteenth list, both comprising of one candidate each were published on 18 April [68] and 23 April [69] respectively.
The Indian National Congress released its first list of 39 candidates on 8 March 2024 [70] and the second list of 43 candidates was published on 13 March, [71] while the third list of 56 candidates was announced on 22 March. [72] The fourth list of 46 candidates was published on 23 March [73] and the fifth list of three candidates was released on 24 March, [73] while the sixth list of five candidates was announced on 25 March. [74] The seventh list of five candidates was published on 26 March, [75] while the eighth list of 14 candidates was announced on 27 March [76] and the ninth list of five candidates was released on 29 March. [77] The tenth list of two candidates was published on 1 April [78] and the eleventh list of 17 candidates was announced on 2 April, [79] while the twelfth list of three candidates was released on 4 April. [80] The thirteenth list of six candidates was announced on 6 April, [81] while the fourteenth list of six more candidates was declared on 9 April, [82] followed by the fifteenth list of two candidates on 10 April. [83] The sixteenth list of 16 candidates was announced on 13 April, [84] followed by the declaration of seventeenth list of ten candidates on 14 April, [85] while the eighteenth list of three candidates was published on 16 April. [86] The nineteenth list of four candidates was announced on 20 April, [87] while the twentieth list of 11 candidates was published on 21 April [88] and the twenty-first list of seven candidates was declared on 23 April. [89] The twenty-second list of three candidates was published on 24 April [90] and the twenty-third list of eight candidates was announced on 25 April. [91]
The All India Trinamool Congress announced its list of 42 candidates for the West Bengal parliamentary seats on 10 March. [92]
In Left Front, the CPI(M) announced its list first list of 44 candidates contesting from 13 different states on 28 March. [93]
The issue of unemployment has been a major problem for the Indian economy, especially affecting the youth. [94] [95] Unemployment in India has been at a 45-year old high. [96] According to a 2022 World Bank report, India's youth unemployment rate stood at 23.2%, [97] whereas the national unemployment hovered around 7%. [94] In 2023, 42.3% of graduates were unemployed, showing the lack of job growth needed to accommodate the increasing workforce. [98]
As such, unemployment has taken a centre stage in the election campaigns, with the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance banking on rising unemployment and inflation to criticise the BJP government's handling of the Indian economy. [99] As a part of its separate youth manifesto, the Congress-led INDIA bloc promised to fill in the 3 million vacancies in government jobs and bring in the "Right to Apprenticeship", in which any diploma and degree holder up to the age of 25 can demand employment for one year and they will get a one-year salary of ₹100,000 for the term of the job. [100]
The BJP prepared a pamphlet for the Ram Mandir Inauguration Programmes to connect with families across the nation. After the consecration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, a new era of Hindu nationalistic sentiments have dominated the political sphere in India. [101] [102] Modi kept a long-standing political pledge of the reconstruction of the Ram Mandir and was seen to have fulfilled the BJP's manifesto to the nation's Hindu population. [102] The Hindu nationalist ideology of Modi and the BJP has also garnered substantial support from Hindu community members. [103] [104] At the same time, Bollywood productions have been released with themes supporting the Modi government's policies and Hindu nationalist ideologies. [105] In response to such concerns, BJP spokesperson Mmhonlumo Kikon acknowledged the existence of a "level of threat perception", but said that the party was trying to change that. [106]
A major controversy was stirred when the opposition Congress Party and its leaders declined an invitation to the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony, saying that the event was politicised into a 'BJP-RSS event'. [107] Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the invitation was an opportunity for the Congress to 'reduce its sin', and that history would continue to judge it as 'anti-Hindu'. [108] The four Shankaracharyas also declined attending the event, stating that the ceremony was politicised as a campaign event at the half-built temple. [109] [110]
During a campaign rally in Rajasthan on 21 April, Narendra Modi accused the Congress party of prioritizing Muslim access to national wealth and planning to distribute resources among “those who have more children” and "infiltrators" once it was in power, which reflected stereotypes about Muslims reproducing in greater numbers and conspiracy theories pushed by the BJP that Muslims were planning to outnumber Hindus. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge called Modi's remarks a panic-filled "hate speech" and a ploy to divert attention from the opposition outperforming the BJP during the first phase of the election, while officials in Rajasthan received complaints from the Azad Adhikar Sena and a non-profit organisation demanding Modi's arrest and for his campaign to be suspended. [111] [112]
A complaint letter by the Samvidhan Bacchao Nagrik Abhiyan (Save the Constitution Citizens' Campaign) organisation to the Election Commission of India, signed by over 17,400 people, alleged that Modi had violated the Model Code of Conduct and the Representation of the People Act, 1951 by making a speech "aiming at not only appealing to 'communal feelings' but also instigating and aggravating hatred in the Hindus against Muslims". [113] [114]
On 15 February 2024, the Supreme Court of India ruled that the Electoral Bond system of campaign financing that was introduced by the Modi government in 2017 which allowed individuals and companies to donate money to political parties anonymously and without limits was unconstitutional, saying that the process allowed donors to assert "influence over policymaking". [115] On 18 March, the court ordered the State Bank of India (SBI) to provide all records regarding the electoral bonds to the Election Commission of India by 21 March in order to match electoral donors with their recipients and rejected a plea by the Confederation of Indian Industry, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India from divulging the identities of donors. Initial reports suggest that among the leading donors to political parties were some of India's largest firms such as Vedanta Limited, Bharti Airtel, RPSG Group and Essel Mining. It also found that the BJP was the recipient of nearly half of all recorded donations. [116]
In total, the top five political parties in terms of electoral bonds received are the BJP, which received Rs 6,060.5 crore, the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), which received Rs 1,609.5 crore, the Congress Party, with Rs 1,421.8 crore, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), which received Rs 1,214.7 crore, and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which received Rs 775.5 crore. [117] [118] [119] The biggest buyer of electoral bonds was found to be Santiago Martin, the Tamil Nadu-based head of the lottery firm Future Gaming and Hotel Services Private Limited, who bought bonds worth 13.68 billion rupees ($163 million) between 2020 and 2024 and made donations to the TMC, the BJP, and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which rules Tamil Nadu. The biggest single donor to any political party was Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MEIL), a construction firm based in Hyderabad that bought electoral bonds worth over 12 billion rupees ($144 million) between 2019 and 2024 and made donations to the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), the BJP, and the Congress Party, who alternated in ruling Telangana during that time. [120]
Some politicians from the opposition have termed Electoral Bonds a "scam" and an "extortion racket". [121] [122] [123] In response to allegations regarding the electoral bonds, BJP spokesperson Syed Zafar Islam denied that the party had done any wrongdoing and said that its electoral bonds were gained "on merit". [120] However, Indian political observers have reached the conclusion that either Indian businessmen have been regularly bribing their way out of trouble, or that the BJP-controlled government has been using government agencies to extort them. From the data released by the SBI, it was found that companies gave donations around the time they received major government contracts. Close to half of the top 30 corporate donors were facing investigations by government agencies around the time they purchased electoral bonds. [124] [125] [126]
On 16 February 2024, the Congress Party alleged that the Income Tax Department (IT) ordered the freezing of bank accounts by the Congress Party containing 2.1 billion rupees ($25.3 million) as part of an ongoing legal dispute. [127] The Congress Party's treasurer Ajay Maken later added that tax authorities imposed a 2.1-billion rupee ($25 million) lien on 13 February, "virtually sealed" its bank accounts and confiscated 1.1 billion rupees ($14 million). The party's leader Rahul Gandhi complained that the restrictions had rendered the party unable to campaign properly, adding that "Our entire financial identity has been erased." Gandhi also accused Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of conducting a "criminal action" against the party, which the BJP denied. His mother and former Congress leader Sonia Gandhi also alleged that the tax issues are "part of the systemic efforts to cripple" the party. An appeal is currently pending in the Supreme Court. [128]
According to the IT Department's official sources, it has recovered ₹135 crore from the Congress for breaking the legislation exempting political parties from paying taxes, rather than freezing the party's bank accounts as the opposition party had claimed. [129] The party received notices from the IT department again on 29 March asking it to pay ₹1,823.08 crore (US$228 million). The Congress accused the BJP of engaging in "tax terrorism" and alleged that the BJP is in serious violation of income-tax laws and that the IT department should raise a demand of ₹4,617.58 crore (US$578 million) crore from the BJP for such violations. [130]
The election period also coincided with investigations by authorities into state officials belonging to opposition parties, such as Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal, who is under investigation for alleged corruption in the allocation of liquor licences, and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who was arrested in February 2024 for allegedly facilitating an illegal land sale. The Enforcement Directorate is also investigating four chief ministers not allied with the BJP on various charges, while investigations have been closed on former opposition politicians who have since joined the BJP. Hartosh Singh Bal, a journalist for the current affairs magazine The Caravan told Agence France-Presse that the move by government agencies indicated their behavior as "handmaidens of the ruling party to cow down the political opposition". [127]
The BJP-led government has been known to use Enforcement Directorate raids to target opposition politicians critical of it, with 95% of cases registered being against opposition leaders. [131] [132] [133] Since 2014, 25 opposition leaders facing corruption charges have joined the BJP, with 23 of them having their inquiries closed or frozen after joining the ruling party. [134]
Following Kejriwal's arrest on 21 March over the liquor license scam charges, Delhi's finance minister Atishi Singh accused the BJP of orchestrating a "political conspiracy" against Kejriwal. [135] His arrest also led to clashes between party leaders, supporters and the police on 22 March. [136] Rahul Gandhi, reacting to Kejriwal's arrest, said that a "scared dictator" wants to create a "dead democracy", without naming anyone. [137]
The national executive meeting of the BJP held on 16 and 17 January 2023 saw the party reaffirm its faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and extend the tenure of BJP national president J. P. Nadda. [138]
Charting out the BJP's strategy for the upcoming polls, Modi said in a speech to party workers that they should reach out to every section of society, including the marginalised and minority communities, "without electoral considerations". [139]
Following the 2023 Legislative Assembly elections, Modi debuted the slogan "Modi Ki Guarantee" for the 2024 polls. [140]
The bloc's first joint rally was held in Patna, Bihar on 3 March 2024. The rally saw, among others, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, former Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav, Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav, and senior Left leaders Sitaram Yechury and D. Raja. Kharge attacked Kumar for frequently changing alliances and criticised the BJP for not fulfilling its promise of jobs and neglecting the country's poor and the majority. [141]
The alliance jointly held a rally at Shivaji Park in Mumbai on 17 March, a day after the end of Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. The rally was attended by Gandhi, SS(UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray, NCP(SP) leader Sharad Pawar, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, and DMK leader and Tamil Nadu chief minister M. K. Stalin, among many others. [142] At the rally, Gandhi said that he was compelled to launch his yatra due to rising inflation and unemployment in the nation. [143]
A few days after arrest of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the alleged Delhi liquor scam on 22 March, [144] the opposition alliance held a protest rally against the same in Ramlila Maidan, Delhi on 31 March, where opposition leaders alleged the corruption case on him and his subsequent arrest to be a "fabrication with political motives" and a "witch hunt". [145] [146] [147] At the rally, named "Loktantra Bachao" (Save Democracy), amid current events, the opposition tried to frame the election as being "democracy vs dictatorship". [148]
The Congress campaign was launched from Nagpur at a huge rally in which over 1 million people were expected to have attended in Nagpur, Maharashtra on 28 December 2023. [149] This rally also marked the 138th Congress Foundation Day and was being held to energise party cadres for the 2024 general election. [150] Party workers from all over the state were called to join the rally. [150] [151]
On 14 January, the party launched its Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, [152] a sequel to the Bharat Jodo Yatra held the previous year. [153] The yatra started in Thoubal, Manipur and ended in Mumbai on 16 March 2024. [152] It covered 6,713 kilometres (4,171 miles) across 14 states. [154]
Rahul Gandhi has warned that the whole of India will be on fire if the BJP wins the 2024 parliamentary elections and changes the Constitution, during an address at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan. [155] [156] [157] [158]
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) began their election campaign in Kerala after announcing 15 candidates in the state. [159]
The Rashtriya Janata Dal began its campaign with its Jan Vishwas Yatra ("People's Trust Yatra") on 20 February 2024. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav launched the yatra from Muzaffarpur in Bihar. The yatra lasted until 1 March 2024 and covered 33 districts. [160] [161] In Siwan on 23 February, Yadav termed the BJP "a dustbin" which takes in other parties that have become "garbage". [162] [163]
After an intraparty dispute that led to the splitting of the Shiv Sena party based in Maharashtra, the Supreme Court of India barred the Shiv Sena (UBT) faction which joined the I.N.D.I.A. alliance from using the party's historic bow-and-arrow symbol as its electoral symbol in balloting and awarded it instead to the Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena wing which supported the BJP. This led the UBT faction to adopt a torch as its electoral symbol. [164]
The BJP proposed a 'GYAN' formula consisting of four segments - Garib (poor), Yuva (youth), Annadata (farmers) and Nari (women) in its manifesto. [165] The Bharatiya Janata Party started a campaign to gather public recommendations and suggestions for the advancement of the State and the country, which will be incorporated into the party's manifesto titled 'Modi ki guarantee' for the 2024 general elections. [166] [167] [168] [169] [170] [171] [172]
The Congress released their group-specific manifesto promises for the general election in the month of March. [179] The manifesto focuses on five major segments of the population and promises them:
The complete manifesto titled Nyay Patra ( Hindi: न्याय पत्र, lit. 'Justice Paper') was released on 5 April 2024. [191] [192] Some noticeable points in the manifesto are (apart from above promises released earlier):
Polling agency | Date published | Sample size | Margin of error | Lead | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NDA | INDIA | Others | |||||
ABP News- CVoter | April 2024 [193] | 57,566 | ±3–5% | 46.6 | 39.8 | 13.6 | 6.8 |
News 18 | March 2024 [194] | 118,616 | ±4% | 48 | 32 | 20 | 16 |
ABP News- CVoter | March 2024 [195] | 41,762 [196] | ±5% | 46 | 39 | 15 | 7 |
Times Now-ETG | March 2024 [197] | 323,357 [198] | ±3% | 52 | 42 | 6 | 10 |
Zee News-Matrize | February 2024 [199] | 167,843 | ±2% | 43.6 | 27.7 | 24.9 | 15.9 |
India Today- CVoter | February 2024 [200] | 149,092 [201] | ±3–5% | 45 | 38 | 17 | 8 |
Times Now-ETG | February 2024 [202] | 156,843 [203] | ±2% | 41.8 | 28.6 | 29.6 | 13.2 |
ABP News- CVoter | December 2023 [204] | 200,000 | ±3–5% | 42 | 38 | 20 | 4 |
Times Now- ETG | December 2023 [205] [206] | 147,231 [207] | ±3% | 44 | 39 | 17 | 5 |
India TV-CNX | October 2023 [208] [209] | 54,250 | ±3% | 43.4 | 39.1 | 17.5 | 4.3 |
Times Now- ETG | October 2023 [210] | 135,100 [211] | ±3% | 42.6 | 40.2 | 17.2 | 2.4 |
August 2023 [212] [213] | 110,662 [214] | ±3% | 42.6 | 40.2 | 17.2 | 2.4 | |
India Today- CVoter | August 2023 [215] | 160,438 | ±3–5% | 43 | 41 | 16 | 2 |
Formation of the big-tent INDIA opposition bloc | |||||||
India Today- CVoter | January 2023 [216] | 140,917 | ±3–5% | 43 | 30 | 27 | 13 |
2019 election results | 45.3% | 27.5% | 27.2% | NDA |
Polling agency | Date published | Sample size | Margin of error | Lead | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NDA | INDIA | Others | |||||
ABP News- CVoter | April 2024 [193] | 57,566 | ±3–5% | 373 | 155 | 15 | NDA |
Times Now-ETG | April 2024 [217] | 271,292 [218] | ±3% | 384 | 118 | 41 | NDA |
News18 | March 2024 [219] | 118,616 [220] | ±4% | 411 | 105 | 27 | NDA |
ABP News- CVoter | March 2024 [221] | 41,762 | ±5% | 366 | 156 | 21 | NDA |
India TV-CNX | March 2024 [222] | 162,900 [223] | ±3% | 378 | 98 | 67 | NDA |
Times Now-ETG | March 2024 [224] | 323,357 | ±3% | 358–398 | 110–130 | 40–50 | NDA |
Zee News-Matrize | February 2024 [199] | 167,843 | ±2% | 377 | 93 | 73 | NDA |
India Today- CVoter | February 2024 [225] | 149,092 [226] | ±3–5% | 335 | 166 | 42 | NDA |
Times Now-ETG | February 2024 [227] | 156,843 | ±2% | 366 | 104 | 73 | NDA |
ABP- CVoter | December 2023 [204] | 200,000 | ±3–5% | 295–335 | 165–205 | 35–65 | NDA |
Times Now- ETG | December 2023 [205] [206] | 147,231 | ±3% | 319–339 | 148–168 | 52–61 | NDA |
India TV-CNX | October 2023 [208] [209] | 54,250 | ±3% | 315 | 172 | 56 | NDA |
Times Now- ETG | October 2023 [210] | 135,100 | ±3% | 297–317 | 165–185 | 57–65 | NDA |
August 2023 [228] [213] | 110,662 | ±3% | 296–326 | 160–190 | 56–64 | NDA | |
India Today- CVoter | August 2023 [215] | 160,438 | ±3–5% | 306 | 193 | 54 | NDA |
Formation of the big-tent INDIA opposition bloc | |||||||
India Today- CVoter | January 2023 [229] | 140,917 | ±3–5% | 298 | 153 | 92 | NDA |
2019 election results | 353 | 91 | 99 | NDA |
On 14 April 2024, the BJP invited foreign diplomats posted in the country as well as 25 overseas political parties including the Conservative and Labour parties of the United Kingdom, the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU), the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and the Awami League of Bangladesh to observe the party's electoral campaign. [230] [231]
This initiative is part of the "Know BJP" campaign, aimed at external outreach and familiarisation with the election process. As part of this program, the BJP president met with envoys from 13 countries. [232] [233]
The Phase 1 voting was conducted on 19 April 2024. [234] [235] Re-polling in 11 polling stations of Inner Manipur was held on 22 April due to violence. [236] [237] Re-polling was conducted for eight polling stations in Arunachal Pradesh on 24 April due to reports of violence and EVM damage. [238] [239]
The Phase 2 voting was conducted on 26 April 2024. [240] [241]
During Phase 1 of the election, violence broke out outside a polling station in Thamanpokpi in Manipur. [242] [243] Clashes between BJP and TMC party workers were reported in the Cooch Behar, Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri constituencies of West Bengal, [244] [245] and one CRPF personnel was found dead in a polling booth in Cooch behar. [246] [247] In Chhattisgarh, one CRPF personnel was killed during polling. [248] [249] Clashes between VCK and BJP cadres were reported in Chidambaram constituency in Tamil Nadu, where two VCK cadres and one BJP cadre were injured. [250] [251]
During Phase 2 of voting, eight voters in Kerala died of heat stroke while voting. [252] [253]
Phase | Date | Seats | Turnout (%) |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 19 April | 101+1⁄2 | 68.29 [254] |
2 | 26 April | 87+1⁄2 | 68.49 [255] |
3 | 7 May | 95 | |
4 | 13 May | 96 | |
5 | 20 May | 49 | |
6 | 25 May | 57 | |
7 | 1 June | 57 | |
Total | 543 |
Following the first round, the BJP won its first seat after Mukesh Dalal, its candidate for Surat constituency in Gujarat was elected unopposed following rejection and withdrawal of other candidates. [256] [257]
This article documents a current election. Information may change rapidly as the election progresses until official results have been published. Initial news reports may be
unreliable, and the
last updates to this article
may not reflect the most current information. (April 2024) |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
All 543 seats in the Lok Sabha 272 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Opinion polls | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Seats by constituency. As this is a
FPTP election, seat totals are not determined proportional to each party's total vote share, but instead by the plurality in each constituency. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
General elections are being held in India from 19 April to 1 June 2024 in seven phases, to elect 543 members of the Lok Sabha. The votes will be counted and the results will be declared on 4 June 2024.
This is the largest-ever election in history, surpassing the 2019 Indian general election, and lasts 44 days, second only to the 1951–52 Indian general election. The incumbent prime minister Narendra Modi, who completed a second term, is running for a third consecutive term.
Approximately 970 million people out of a population of 1.4 billion people are eligible to vote. [1] [2] [3] The state legislative assembly elections in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Sikkim are to be held simultaneously with the general election, along with the by-elections for 25 seats in 12 legislative assemblies.
India has a multi-party system with two major parties, namely the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Indian National Congress dominating the politics at the national level. The Bharatiya Janata Party has governed the country with Narendra Modi at the helm since 2014. The tenure of the 17th Lok Sabha is scheduled to end on 16 June 2024. [4] The previous general election was held in April–May 2019, after which the, National Democratic Alliance, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, formed the union government, with Modi continuing as Prime Minister. [5]
Article 83 of the Constitution of India requires elections to the Lok Sabha to be held once every five years. [6] All 543 elected MPs are elected from single-member constituencies using first-past-the-post voting. [7] The 104th amendment to the constitution abolished the two seats that were reserved for the Anglo-Indian community. [8]
Eligible voters must be Indian citizens, 18 years or older, ordinary resident of the polling area of the constituency and registered to vote (name included in the electoral rolls), possess a valid voter identification card issued by the Election Commission of India or equivalent. [9] Some people convicted of electoral or other offenses are barred from voting. [10] Indians holding foreign citizenship are also barred from voting. There is no postal or online absentee voting in India; members of the Indian diaspora are required to travel back to their home constituencies in order to cast a ballot. [11]
For the 2024 election, 968 million people are eligible to vote, an increase of about 150 million people from the 2019 election. [12] In Arunachal Pradesh, a polling station will be set up for the only registered voter in the village of Malogam, due to electoral laws that stipulate voting booths to be placed within two kilometers from all settlements. [13] [14] [15] Polling stations will also be set up inside a wildlife sanctuary in Kerala and in a shipping container in Gujarat, [16] as well as in 320 relief camps hosting some 59,000 people displaced during interethnic violence in Manipur. [17]
In March 2024, the Supreme Court of India rejected a petition by the Congress Party to end the usage of electronic voting machines and revert to paper ballots and manual counting, which was the system used in elections until the late 1990s, with the party citing risks of electoral fraud. [18] Nearly 5.5 million electronic voting machines will be utilized for more than one million polling stations, while 15 million election workers and security personnel will be tasked with managing the conduct of the election. [15]
Key processes during a Lok Sabha election include monitoring campaign expenditure, preventing illicit goods, and ensuring adherence to the Model Code of Conduct. In the final 48 hours, campaigns halt, and measures are implemented to maintain order and prevent disruptions. Polling day involves strict rules to prevent undue influence, ensuring a smooth and secure election process. EVMs are sealed and stored with tight security, while Booth Level Officers assist voters. The exercise requires meticulous planning to ensure free, fair, and peaceful elections. [19]
The election schedule for the 18th Lok Sabha was announced by the Election Commission of India on 16 March 2024, [20] [21] and with it the Model Code of Conduct came into effect. [22] The tenure of the 17th Lok Sabha is scheduled to end on 16 June 2024. [23]
Poll event | Phase | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
Notification date | 20 March | 28 March | 12 April | 18 April | 26 April | 29 April | 7 May |
Last date for filing nomination | 27 March | 4 April | 19 April | 25 April | 3 May | 6 May | 14 May |
Scrutiny of nomination | 28 March | 5 April | 20 April | 26 April | 4 May | 7 May | 15 May |
Last date for withdrawal of nomination | 30 March | 8 April | 22 April | 29 April | 6 May | 9 May | 17 May |
Date of poll | 19 April | 26 April | 7 May | 13 May | 20 May | 25 May | 1 June |
Date of counting of votes | 4 June 2024 | ||||||
No. of constituencies | 101+1⁄2 | 87+1⁄2 | 95 | 96 | 49 | 57 | 57 |
State/Union territory | Total constituencies |
Election dates and number of constituencies | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Phase 1 | Phase 2 | Phase 3 | Phase 4 | Phase 5 | Phase 6 | Phase 7 | ||
19 April | 26 April | 7 May | 13 May | 20 May | 25 May | 1 June | ||
Andhra Pradesh | 25 | 25 | ||||||
Arunachal Pradesh | 2 | 2 | ||||||
Assam | 14 | 5 | 5 | 4 | ||||
Bihar | 40 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 |
Chhattisgarh | 11 | 1 | 3 | 7 | ||||
Goa | 2 | 2 | ||||||
Gujarat | 26 | 26 | ||||||
Haryana | 10 | 10 | ||||||
Himachal Pradesh | 4 | 4 | ||||||
Jharkhand | 14 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | |||
Karnataka | 28 | 14 | 14 | |||||
Kerala | 20 | 20 | ||||||
Madhya Pradesh | 29 | 6 | 6 [a] | 9 [a] | 8 | |||
Maharashtra | 48 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 13 | ||
Manipur | 2 | 1+1⁄2 [b] | 1⁄2 [b] | |||||
Meghalaya | 2 | 2 | ||||||
Mizoram | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Nagaland | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Odisha | 21 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | |||
Punjab | 13 | 13 | ||||||
Rajasthan | 25 | 12 | 13 | |||||
Sikkim | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Tamil Nadu | 39 | 39 | ||||||
Telangana | 17 | 17 | ||||||
Tripura | 2 | 1 | 1 | |||||
Uttar Pradesh | 80 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 |
Uttarakhand | 5 | 5 | ||||||
West Bengal | 42 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Chandigarh | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu |
2 | 2 | ||||||
Delhi | 7 | 7 | ||||||
Jammu and Kashmir | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
Ladakh | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Lakshadweep | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Puducherry | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Total constituencies | 543 | 101+1⁄2 | 87+1⁄2 | 95 | 96 | 49 | 57 | 57 |
Total constituencies by end of phase |
– | 101+1⁄2 | 189 | 285 | 380 | 429 | 486 | 543 |
Percentage complete by end of phase |
– | 18.69 | 34.80 | 52.48 | 69.98 | 79.01 | 89.50 | 100 |
The politics of India has become increasingly bipolar in the run-up to the 2024 Indian general elections with two major alliances emerging; the incumbent NDA (National Democratic Alliance) and the opposition INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance). Six national parties are contesting the 2024 Indian general elections: BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), INC (Indian National Congress), CPI(M) (Communist Party of India (Marxist)), BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party), NPP (National People's Party) and AAP (Aam Aadmi Party) with all except the BSP being a part of one of the two alliances.
The National Democratic Alliance, abbreviated as NDA ( IAST: Rāṣhṭrīya Jānātāntrik Gaṭhabandhan) is a big-tent, mostly centre-right to right-wing political alliance led by the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Party | State/UTs | Seats Contested | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Bharatiya Janata Party | Uttar Pradesh | 75 | 443 [26] | |
West Bengal | 42 | |||
Maharashtra | 30 | |||
Madhya Pradesh | 29 | |||
Gujarat | 26 | |||
Rajasthan | 25 | |||
Karnataka | 25 | |||
Tamil Nadu | 23 | |||
Odisha | 21 | |||
Bihar | 17 | |||
Telangana | 17 | |||
Kerala | 16 | |||
Jharkhand | 13 | |||
Punjab | 13 | |||
Assam | 11 | |||
Chhattisgarh | 11 | |||
Haryana | 10 | |||
Delhi | 7 | |||
Andhra Pradesh | 6 | |||
Uttarakhand | 5 | |||
Himachal Pradesh | 4 | |||
Arunachal Pradesh | 2 | |||
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | 2 | |||
Goa | 2 | |||
Jammu and Kashmir | 2 | |||
Tripura | 2 | |||
Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 1 | |||
Chandigarh | 1 | |||
Ladakh | 1 | |||
Manipur | 1 | |||
Mizoram | 1 | |||
Puducherry | 1 | |||
Sikkim | 1 | |||
Telugu Desam Party | Andhra Pradesh | 17 | ||
Janata Dal (United) | Bihar | 16 [27] | ||
Shiv Sena | Maharashtra | 13 | ||
Pattali Makkal Katchi | Tamil Nadu | 10 | ||
Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) | Bihar | 5 | ||
Nationalist Congress Party | Maharashtra | 4 | 5 | |
Lakshadweep | 1 | |||
Bharath Dharma Jana Sena | Kerala | 4 | ||
Janata Dal (Secular) | Karnataka | 3 | ||
Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) | Tamil Nadu | 3 | ||
Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam | Tamil Nadu | 2 | ||
Apna Dal (Soneylal) | Uttar Pradesh | 2 | ||
Asom Gana Parishad | Assam | 2 | ||
Jana Sena Party | Andhra Pradesh | 2 | ||
National People's Party | Meghalaya | 2 | ||
Rashtriya Lok Dal | Uttar Pradesh | 2 | ||
All Jharkhand Students Union | Jharkhand | 1 | ||
Hindustani Awam Morcha | Bihar | 1 | ||
Independent | Tamil Nadu | 1 | ||
Naga People's Front | Manipur | 1 | ||
Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party | Nagaland | 1 | ||
Rashtriya Lok Morcha | Bihar | 1 | ||
Rashtriya Samaj Paksha | Maharashtra | 1 | ||
Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party | Uttar Pradesh | 1 | ||
United People's Party Liberal | Assam | 1 | ||
Total | 540 |
The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, abbreviated as INDIA ( IAST: Bhāratīya Rāṣṭrīya Vikāsaśīla Samāveśī Gaṭhabaṃdhana) is a big-tent, mostly centre-left to left-wing bloc of opposition parties. [28] [29]
On the run up to the general election numerous opposition parties met to form a new opposition alliance to defeat the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. After numerous talks 24 political parties came together to form the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).
Parties | States/UTs | Seats contested | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Indian National Congress | Karnataka | 28 | 328 | |
Madhya Pradesh | 28 | |||
Gujarat | 23 | |||
Andhra Pradesh | 23 | |||
Rajasthan | 22 | |||
1 | ||||
Odisha | 19 | |||
Maharashtra | 17 | |||
Telangana | 17 | |||
Uttar Pradesh | 17 | |||
Kerala | 16 | |||
West Bengal | 13 | |||
Assam | 13 | |||
Punjab | 13 | |||
Chhattisgarh | 11 | |||
Bihar | 9 | |||
Haryana | 9 | |||
Tamil Nadu | 9 | |||
Jharkhand | 7 | |||
Uttarakhand | 5 | |||
Himachal Pradesh | 4 | |||
Delhi | 3 | |||
Arunachal Pradesh | 2 | |||
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | 2 | |||
Goa | 2 | |||
Jammu and Kashmir | 2 | |||
Manipur | 2 | |||
Meghalaya | 2 | |||
Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 1 | |||
Chandigarh | 1 | |||
Ladakh | 1 | |||
Lakshadweep | 1 | |||
Mizoram | 1 | |||
Nagaland | 1 | |||
Puducherry | 1 | |||
Sikkim | 1 | |||
Tripura | 1 | |||
Samajwadi Party | Uttar Pradesh | 62 | 63 | |
Gujarat | 1 | |||
Communist Party of India (Marxist) | West Bengal | 23 | 54 [34] | |
Kerala | 15 | |||
Maharashtra | 2 | |||
Tamil Nadu | 2 | |||
Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 1 | |||
Andhra Pradesh | 1 | |||
Assam | 1 | |||
Bihar | 1 | |||
Jharkhand | 1 | |||
Karnataka | 1 | |||
Odisha | 1 | |||
Punjab | 1 | |||
Rajasthan | 1 | |||
Telangana | 1 | |||
Tripura | 1 | |||
All India Trinamool Congress | West Bengal | 42 [35] | 48 | |
Assam | 4 [36] | |||
Meghalaya | 1 [37] | |||
Uttar Pradesh | 1 [38] | |||
Communist Party of India | Jharkhand | 8 [39] | 27 | |
Uttar Pradesh | 5 [40] | |||
Kerala | 4 [41] | |||
Madhya Pradesh | 2 | |||
Tamil Nadu | 2 [42] | |||
West Bengal | 2 [43] | |||
Andhra Pradesh | 1 | |||
Assam | 1 | |||
Bihar | 1 | |||
Chhattisgarh | 1 | |||
Maharashtra | 1 | |||
Odisha | 1 | |||
Rashtriya Janata Dal | Bihar | 23 | 24 | |
Jharkhand | 1 | |||
Bharat Adivasi Party | Rajasthan | 5 | 23 | |
1 | ||||
Madhya Pradesh | 5 | |||
Maharashtra | 4 | |||
Andhra Pradesh | 2 | |||
Gujarat | 2 | |||
Jharkhand | 2 | |||
Chhattisgarh | 1 | |||
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | 1 | |||
Aam Aadmi Party | Punjab | 13 | 22 | |
Delhi | 4 | |||
Assam | 2 | |||
Gujarat | 2 | |||
Haryana | 1 | |||
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | Tamil Nadu | 21 | ||
Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) | Maharashtra | 21 | ||
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) | Maharashtra | 10 | 11 | |
Lakshadweep | 1 | |||
All India Forward Bloc | Maharashtra | 3 | 9 | |
West Bengal | 3 | |||
Jammu and Kashmir | 2 | |||
Bihar | 1 | |||
Madhya Pradesh | 1 | |||
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha | Jharkhand | 5 | 6 | |
Odisha | 1 | |||
Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation | Bihar | 3 | 4 | |
Jharkhand | 1 | |||
Revolutionary Socialist Party | West Bengal | 3 [44] | 4 | |
Kerala | 1 [45] | |||
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi | Tamil Nadu | 2 [46] | 4 | |
Karnataka | 1 | |||
Kerala | 1 | |||
Indian Union Muslim League | Kerala | 2 [45] | 3 | |
Tamil Nadu | 1 [47] | |||
Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | Jammu and Kashmir | 3 | ||
Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party | Jammu and Kashmir | 3 | ||
Vikassheel Insaan Party | Bihar | 3 [48] | ||
Assam Jatiya Parishad | Assam | 1 | ||
Kerala Congress | Kerala | 1 | ||
Kerala Congress (M) | Kerala | 1 | ||
Kongunadu Makkal Desia Katchi | Tamil Nadu | 1 | ||
Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | Tamil Nadu | 1 | ||
Rashtriya Loktantrik Party | Rajasthan | 1 | ||
Total | 680 |
Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati announced that her party will contest the election on its own in most states and ally with other non-BJP, non-Congress parties in Telangana and Haryana. [49]
On 11 May 2023, Biju Janata Dal leader and Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik said that his party will go alone for the Lok Sabha polls. [50]
Party/Alliance | States/UTs | Seats Contested | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Bahujan Samaj Party | Uttar Pradesh | 80 | TBD | |
West Bengal | 40 | |||
Bihar | 40 | |||
Tamil Nadu | ||||
Madhya Pradesh | ||||
Karnataka | ||||
Gujarat | ||||
Rajasthan | 25 | |||
Andhra Pradesh | ||||
Odisha | ||||
Kerala | 18 | |||
Telangana | ||||
Punjab | ||||
Chhattisgarh | 11 | |||
Goa | 2 | |||
Andaman and Nicobar Island | 1 | |||
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | 1 | |||
Puducherry | 1 | |||
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | Tamil Nadu | 34 | 36 | |
Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 1 | |||
Puducherry | 1 | |||
Naam Tamilar Katchi | Tamil Nadu | 39 | 40 | |
Puduchery | 1 | |||
YSR Congress Party | Andhra Pradesh | 25 | ||
Biju Janata Dal | Odisha | 21 | ||
Bharat Rashtra Samithi | Telangana | 17 | ||
Shiromani Akali Dal | Punjab | |||
Jannayak Janta Party | Haryana | |||
Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) | Uttar Pradesh | |||
Madhya Pradesh | ||||
Chhattisgarh | 3 | |||
Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi | Maharashtra | |||
Indian Secular Front | West Bengal | 8 | ||
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen | Telangana | 1 | ||
Indian National Lok Dal | Haryana | |||
Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party | Jammu and Kashmir | |||
Gondwana Ganatantra Party | Madhya Pradesh | |||
Chhattisgarh | 9 | |||
Maharashtra | ||||
Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam | Tamil Nadu | 5 | ||
All India United Democratic Front | Assam | 3 | ||
Bodoland People's Front | Assam | 4 | ||
Revolutionary Goans Party | Goa | 2 | ||
Mizo National Front | Mizoram | 1 | ||
Sikkim Democratic Front | Sikkim | 1 | ||
Sikkim Krantikari Morcha | Sikkim | 1 | ||
Voice of the People Party | Meghalaya | 1 | ||
United Democratic Party | Meghalaya | 1 | ||
Zoram People's Movement | Mizoram | 1 |
The prime ministerial candidate for the 2024 general election of the NDA alliance is the incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi. [51] [52] The prime ministerial candidate of the INDIA bloc will be decided after the 2024 polls. [53] [54]
The BJP announced its first list of 195 candidates on 2 March 2024 [55] [56] and the second list of 72 candidates was published in 13 March, [57] while the third list of nine candidates was announced on 21 March. [58] The fourth list of 15 candidates was released on 22 March, [59] followed by the declaration of fifth list of 111 candidates on 24 March [60] and the sixth list of three candidates on 26 March. [61] The seventh list of two candidates was announced on 27 March [62] and the eighth list of eleven candidates was published on 30 March, [63] while the ninth list of just one candidate was released on 31 March. [64] The tenth list, comprising nine candidates, was released on 10 April [65] and the eleventh list, comprising one candidate, was released on 11 April, [66] followed by the announcement of twelvth list of seven candidates on 16 April. [67] The thirteenth and fourteenth list, both comprising of one candidate each were published on 18 April [68] and 23 April [69] respectively.
The Indian National Congress released its first list of 39 candidates on 8 March 2024 [70] and the second list of 43 candidates was published on 13 March, [71] while the third list of 56 candidates was announced on 22 March. [72] The fourth list of 46 candidates was published on 23 March [73] and the fifth list of three candidates was released on 24 March, [73] while the sixth list of five candidates was announced on 25 March. [74] The seventh list of five candidates was published on 26 March, [75] while the eighth list of 14 candidates was announced on 27 March [76] and the ninth list of five candidates was released on 29 March. [77] The tenth list of two candidates was published on 1 April [78] and the eleventh list of 17 candidates was announced on 2 April, [79] while the twelfth list of three candidates was released on 4 April. [80] The thirteenth list of six candidates was announced on 6 April, [81] while the fourteenth list of six more candidates was declared on 9 April, [82] followed by the fifteenth list of two candidates on 10 April. [83] The sixteenth list of 16 candidates was announced on 13 April, [84] followed by the declaration of seventeenth list of ten candidates on 14 April, [85] while the eighteenth list of three candidates was published on 16 April. [86] The nineteenth list of four candidates was announced on 20 April, [87] while the twentieth list of 11 candidates was published on 21 April [88] and the twenty-first list of seven candidates was declared on 23 April. [89] The twenty-second list of three candidates was published on 24 April [90] and the twenty-third list of eight candidates was announced on 25 April. [91]
The All India Trinamool Congress announced its list of 42 candidates for the West Bengal parliamentary seats on 10 March. [92]
In Left Front, the CPI(M) announced its list first list of 44 candidates contesting from 13 different states on 28 March. [93]
The issue of unemployment has been a major problem for the Indian economy, especially affecting the youth. [94] [95] Unemployment in India has been at a 45-year old high. [96] According to a 2022 World Bank report, India's youth unemployment rate stood at 23.2%, [97] whereas the national unemployment hovered around 7%. [94] In 2023, 42.3% of graduates were unemployed, showing the lack of job growth needed to accommodate the increasing workforce. [98]
As such, unemployment has taken a centre stage in the election campaigns, with the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance banking on rising unemployment and inflation to criticise the BJP government's handling of the Indian economy. [99] As a part of its separate youth manifesto, the Congress-led INDIA bloc promised to fill in the 3 million vacancies in government jobs and bring in the "Right to Apprenticeship", in which any diploma and degree holder up to the age of 25 can demand employment for one year and they will get a one-year salary of ₹100,000 for the term of the job. [100]
The BJP prepared a pamphlet for the Ram Mandir Inauguration Programmes to connect with families across the nation. After the consecration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, a new era of Hindu nationalistic sentiments have dominated the political sphere in India. [101] [102] Modi kept a long-standing political pledge of the reconstruction of the Ram Mandir and was seen to have fulfilled the BJP's manifesto to the nation's Hindu population. [102] The Hindu nationalist ideology of Modi and the BJP has also garnered substantial support from Hindu community members. [103] [104] At the same time, Bollywood productions have been released with themes supporting the Modi government's policies and Hindu nationalist ideologies. [105] In response to such concerns, BJP spokesperson Mmhonlumo Kikon acknowledged the existence of a "level of threat perception", but said that the party was trying to change that. [106]
A major controversy was stirred when the opposition Congress Party and its leaders declined an invitation to the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony, saying that the event was politicised into a 'BJP-RSS event'. [107] Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the invitation was an opportunity for the Congress to 'reduce its sin', and that history would continue to judge it as 'anti-Hindu'. [108] The four Shankaracharyas also declined attending the event, stating that the ceremony was politicised as a campaign event at the half-built temple. [109] [110]
During a campaign rally in Rajasthan on 21 April, Narendra Modi accused the Congress party of prioritizing Muslim access to national wealth and planning to distribute resources among “those who have more children” and "infiltrators" once it was in power, which reflected stereotypes about Muslims reproducing in greater numbers and conspiracy theories pushed by the BJP that Muslims were planning to outnumber Hindus. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge called Modi's remarks a panic-filled "hate speech" and a ploy to divert attention from the opposition outperforming the BJP during the first phase of the election, while officials in Rajasthan received complaints from the Azad Adhikar Sena and a non-profit organisation demanding Modi's arrest and for his campaign to be suspended. [111] [112]
A complaint letter by the Samvidhan Bacchao Nagrik Abhiyan (Save the Constitution Citizens' Campaign) organisation to the Election Commission of India, signed by over 17,400 people, alleged that Modi had violated the Model Code of Conduct and the Representation of the People Act, 1951 by making a speech "aiming at not only appealing to 'communal feelings' but also instigating and aggravating hatred in the Hindus against Muslims". [113] [114]
On 15 February 2024, the Supreme Court of India ruled that the Electoral Bond system of campaign financing that was introduced by the Modi government in 2017 which allowed individuals and companies to donate money to political parties anonymously and without limits was unconstitutional, saying that the process allowed donors to assert "influence over policymaking". [115] On 18 March, the court ordered the State Bank of India (SBI) to provide all records regarding the electoral bonds to the Election Commission of India by 21 March in order to match electoral donors with their recipients and rejected a plea by the Confederation of Indian Industry, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India from divulging the identities of donors. Initial reports suggest that among the leading donors to political parties were some of India's largest firms such as Vedanta Limited, Bharti Airtel, RPSG Group and Essel Mining. It also found that the BJP was the recipient of nearly half of all recorded donations. [116]
In total, the top five political parties in terms of electoral bonds received are the BJP, which received Rs 6,060.5 crore, the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), which received Rs 1,609.5 crore, the Congress Party, with Rs 1,421.8 crore, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), which received Rs 1,214.7 crore, and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which received Rs 775.5 crore. [117] [118] [119] The biggest buyer of electoral bonds was found to be Santiago Martin, the Tamil Nadu-based head of the lottery firm Future Gaming and Hotel Services Private Limited, who bought bonds worth 13.68 billion rupees ($163 million) between 2020 and 2024 and made donations to the TMC, the BJP, and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which rules Tamil Nadu. The biggest single donor to any political party was Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MEIL), a construction firm based in Hyderabad that bought electoral bonds worth over 12 billion rupees ($144 million) between 2019 and 2024 and made donations to the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), the BJP, and the Congress Party, who alternated in ruling Telangana during that time. [120]
Some politicians from the opposition have termed Electoral Bonds a "scam" and an "extortion racket". [121] [122] [123] In response to allegations regarding the electoral bonds, BJP spokesperson Syed Zafar Islam denied that the party had done any wrongdoing and said that its electoral bonds were gained "on merit". [120] However, Indian political observers have reached the conclusion that either Indian businessmen have been regularly bribing their way out of trouble, or that the BJP-controlled government has been using government agencies to extort them. From the data released by the SBI, it was found that companies gave donations around the time they received major government contracts. Close to half of the top 30 corporate donors were facing investigations by government agencies around the time they purchased electoral bonds. [124] [125] [126]
On 16 February 2024, the Congress Party alleged that the Income Tax Department (IT) ordered the freezing of bank accounts by the Congress Party containing 2.1 billion rupees ($25.3 million) as part of an ongoing legal dispute. [127] The Congress Party's treasurer Ajay Maken later added that tax authorities imposed a 2.1-billion rupee ($25 million) lien on 13 February, "virtually sealed" its bank accounts and confiscated 1.1 billion rupees ($14 million). The party's leader Rahul Gandhi complained that the restrictions had rendered the party unable to campaign properly, adding that "Our entire financial identity has been erased." Gandhi also accused Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of conducting a "criminal action" against the party, which the BJP denied. His mother and former Congress leader Sonia Gandhi also alleged that the tax issues are "part of the systemic efforts to cripple" the party. An appeal is currently pending in the Supreme Court. [128]
According to the IT Department's official sources, it has recovered ₹135 crore from the Congress for breaking the legislation exempting political parties from paying taxes, rather than freezing the party's bank accounts as the opposition party had claimed. [129] The party received notices from the IT department again on 29 March asking it to pay ₹1,823.08 crore (US$228 million). The Congress accused the BJP of engaging in "tax terrorism" and alleged that the BJP is in serious violation of income-tax laws and that the IT department should raise a demand of ₹4,617.58 crore (US$578 million) crore from the BJP for such violations. [130]
The election period also coincided with investigations by authorities into state officials belonging to opposition parties, such as Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal, who is under investigation for alleged corruption in the allocation of liquor licences, and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who was arrested in February 2024 for allegedly facilitating an illegal land sale. The Enforcement Directorate is also investigating four chief ministers not allied with the BJP on various charges, while investigations have been closed on former opposition politicians who have since joined the BJP. Hartosh Singh Bal, a journalist for the current affairs magazine The Caravan told Agence France-Presse that the move by government agencies indicated their behavior as "handmaidens of the ruling party to cow down the political opposition". [127]
The BJP-led government has been known to use Enforcement Directorate raids to target opposition politicians critical of it, with 95% of cases registered being against opposition leaders. [131] [132] [133] Since 2014, 25 opposition leaders facing corruption charges have joined the BJP, with 23 of them having their inquiries closed or frozen after joining the ruling party. [134]
Following Kejriwal's arrest on 21 March over the liquor license scam charges, Delhi's finance minister Atishi Singh accused the BJP of orchestrating a "political conspiracy" against Kejriwal. [135] His arrest also led to clashes between party leaders, supporters and the police on 22 March. [136] Rahul Gandhi, reacting to Kejriwal's arrest, said that a "scared dictator" wants to create a "dead democracy", without naming anyone. [137]
The national executive meeting of the BJP held on 16 and 17 January 2023 saw the party reaffirm its faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and extend the tenure of BJP national president J. P. Nadda. [138]
Charting out the BJP's strategy for the upcoming polls, Modi said in a speech to party workers that they should reach out to every section of society, including the marginalised and minority communities, "without electoral considerations". [139]
Following the 2023 Legislative Assembly elections, Modi debuted the slogan "Modi Ki Guarantee" for the 2024 polls. [140]
The bloc's first joint rally was held in Patna, Bihar on 3 March 2024. The rally saw, among others, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, former Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav, Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav, and senior Left leaders Sitaram Yechury and D. Raja. Kharge attacked Kumar for frequently changing alliances and criticised the BJP for not fulfilling its promise of jobs and neglecting the country's poor and the majority. [141]
The alliance jointly held a rally at Shivaji Park in Mumbai on 17 March, a day after the end of Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. The rally was attended by Gandhi, SS(UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray, NCP(SP) leader Sharad Pawar, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, and DMK leader and Tamil Nadu chief minister M. K. Stalin, among many others. [142] At the rally, Gandhi said that he was compelled to launch his yatra due to rising inflation and unemployment in the nation. [143]
A few days after arrest of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the alleged Delhi liquor scam on 22 March, [144] the opposition alliance held a protest rally against the same in Ramlila Maidan, Delhi on 31 March, where opposition leaders alleged the corruption case on him and his subsequent arrest to be a "fabrication with political motives" and a "witch hunt". [145] [146] [147] At the rally, named "Loktantra Bachao" (Save Democracy), amid current events, the opposition tried to frame the election as being "democracy vs dictatorship". [148]
The Congress campaign was launched from Nagpur at a huge rally in which over 1 million people were expected to have attended in Nagpur, Maharashtra on 28 December 2023. [149] This rally also marked the 138th Congress Foundation Day and was being held to energise party cadres for the 2024 general election. [150] Party workers from all over the state were called to join the rally. [150] [151]
On 14 January, the party launched its Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, [152] a sequel to the Bharat Jodo Yatra held the previous year. [153] The yatra started in Thoubal, Manipur and ended in Mumbai on 16 March 2024. [152] It covered 6,713 kilometres (4,171 miles) across 14 states. [154]
Rahul Gandhi has warned that the whole of India will be on fire if the BJP wins the 2024 parliamentary elections and changes the Constitution, during an address at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan. [155] [156] [157] [158]
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) began their election campaign in Kerala after announcing 15 candidates in the state. [159]
The Rashtriya Janata Dal began its campaign with its Jan Vishwas Yatra ("People's Trust Yatra") on 20 February 2024. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav launched the yatra from Muzaffarpur in Bihar. The yatra lasted until 1 March 2024 and covered 33 districts. [160] [161] In Siwan on 23 February, Yadav termed the BJP "a dustbin" which takes in other parties that have become "garbage". [162] [163]
After an intraparty dispute that led to the splitting of the Shiv Sena party based in Maharashtra, the Supreme Court of India barred the Shiv Sena (UBT) faction which joined the I.N.D.I.A. alliance from using the party's historic bow-and-arrow symbol as its electoral symbol in balloting and awarded it instead to the Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena wing which supported the BJP. This led the UBT faction to adopt a torch as its electoral symbol. [164]
The BJP proposed a 'GYAN' formula consisting of four segments - Garib (poor), Yuva (youth), Annadata (farmers) and Nari (women) in its manifesto. [165] The Bharatiya Janata Party started a campaign to gather public recommendations and suggestions for the advancement of the State and the country, which will be incorporated into the party's manifesto titled 'Modi ki guarantee' for the 2024 general elections. [166] [167] [168] [169] [170] [171] [172]
The Congress released their group-specific manifesto promises for the general election in the month of March. [179] The manifesto focuses on five major segments of the population and promises them:
The complete manifesto titled Nyay Patra ( Hindi: न्याय पत्र, lit. 'Justice Paper') was released on 5 April 2024. [191] [192] Some noticeable points in the manifesto are (apart from above promises released earlier):
Polling agency | Date published | Sample size | Margin of error | Lead | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NDA | INDIA | Others | |||||
ABP News- CVoter | April 2024 [193] | 57,566 | ±3–5% | 46.6 | 39.8 | 13.6 | 6.8 |
News 18 | March 2024 [194] | 118,616 | ±4% | 48 | 32 | 20 | 16 |
ABP News- CVoter | March 2024 [195] | 41,762 [196] | ±5% | 46 | 39 | 15 | 7 |
Times Now-ETG | March 2024 [197] | 323,357 [198] | ±3% | 52 | 42 | 6 | 10 |
Zee News-Matrize | February 2024 [199] | 167,843 | ±2% | 43.6 | 27.7 | 24.9 | 15.9 |
India Today- CVoter | February 2024 [200] | 149,092 [201] | ±3–5% | 45 | 38 | 17 | 8 |
Times Now-ETG | February 2024 [202] | 156,843 [203] | ±2% | 41.8 | 28.6 | 29.6 | 13.2 |
ABP News- CVoter | December 2023 [204] | 200,000 | ±3–5% | 42 | 38 | 20 | 4 |
Times Now- ETG | December 2023 [205] [206] | 147,231 [207] | ±3% | 44 | 39 | 17 | 5 |
India TV-CNX | October 2023 [208] [209] | 54,250 | ±3% | 43.4 | 39.1 | 17.5 | 4.3 |
Times Now- ETG | October 2023 [210] | 135,100 [211] | ±3% | 42.6 | 40.2 | 17.2 | 2.4 |
August 2023 [212] [213] | 110,662 [214] | ±3% | 42.6 | 40.2 | 17.2 | 2.4 | |
India Today- CVoter | August 2023 [215] | 160,438 | ±3–5% | 43 | 41 | 16 | 2 |
Formation of the big-tent INDIA opposition bloc | |||||||
India Today- CVoter | January 2023 [216] | 140,917 | ±3–5% | 43 | 30 | 27 | 13 |
2019 election results | 45.3% | 27.5% | 27.2% | NDA |
Polling agency | Date published | Sample size | Margin of error | Lead | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NDA | INDIA | Others | |||||
ABP News- CVoter | April 2024 [193] | 57,566 | ±3–5% | 373 | 155 | 15 | NDA |
Times Now-ETG | April 2024 [217] | 271,292 [218] | ±3% | 384 | 118 | 41 | NDA |
News18 | March 2024 [219] | 118,616 [220] | ±4% | 411 | 105 | 27 | NDA |
ABP News- CVoter | March 2024 [221] | 41,762 | ±5% | 366 | 156 | 21 | NDA |
India TV-CNX | March 2024 [222] | 162,900 [223] | ±3% | 378 | 98 | 67 | NDA |
Times Now-ETG | March 2024 [224] | 323,357 | ±3% | 358–398 | 110–130 | 40–50 | NDA |
Zee News-Matrize | February 2024 [199] | 167,843 | ±2% | 377 | 93 | 73 | NDA |
India Today- CVoter | February 2024 [225] | 149,092 [226] | ±3–5% | 335 | 166 | 42 | NDA |
Times Now-ETG | February 2024 [227] | 156,843 | ±2% | 366 | 104 | 73 | NDA |
ABP- CVoter | December 2023 [204] | 200,000 | ±3–5% | 295–335 | 165–205 | 35–65 | NDA |
Times Now- ETG | December 2023 [205] [206] | 147,231 | ±3% | 319–339 | 148–168 | 52–61 | NDA |
India TV-CNX | October 2023 [208] [209] | 54,250 | ±3% | 315 | 172 | 56 | NDA |
Times Now- ETG | October 2023 [210] | 135,100 | ±3% | 297–317 | 165–185 | 57–65 | NDA |
August 2023 [228] [213] | 110,662 | ±3% | 296–326 | 160–190 | 56–64 | NDA | |
India Today- CVoter | August 2023 [215] | 160,438 | ±3–5% | 306 | 193 | 54 | NDA |
Formation of the big-tent INDIA opposition bloc | |||||||
India Today- CVoter | January 2023 [229] | 140,917 | ±3–5% | 298 | 153 | 92 | NDA |
2019 election results | 353 | 91 | 99 | NDA |
On 14 April 2024, the BJP invited foreign diplomats posted in the country as well as 25 overseas political parties including the Conservative and Labour parties of the United Kingdom, the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU), the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and the Awami League of Bangladesh to observe the party's electoral campaign. [230] [231]
This initiative is part of the "Know BJP" campaign, aimed at external outreach and familiarisation with the election process. As part of this program, the BJP president met with envoys from 13 countries. [232] [233]
The Phase 1 voting was conducted on 19 April 2024. [234] [235] Re-polling in 11 polling stations of Inner Manipur was held on 22 April due to violence. [236] [237] Re-polling was conducted for eight polling stations in Arunachal Pradesh on 24 April due to reports of violence and EVM damage. [238] [239]
The Phase 2 voting was conducted on 26 April 2024. [240] [241]
During Phase 1 of the election, violence broke out outside a polling station in Thamanpokpi in Manipur. [242] [243] Clashes between BJP and TMC party workers were reported in the Cooch Behar, Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri constituencies of West Bengal, [244] [245] and one CRPF personnel was found dead in a polling booth in Cooch behar. [246] [247] In Chhattisgarh, one CRPF personnel was killed during polling. [248] [249] Clashes between VCK and BJP cadres were reported in Chidambaram constituency in Tamil Nadu, where two VCK cadres and one BJP cadre were injured. [250] [251]
During Phase 2 of voting, eight voters in Kerala died of heat stroke while voting. [252] [253]
Phase | Date | Seats | Turnout (%) |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 19 April | 101+1⁄2 | 68.29 [254] |
2 | 26 April | 87+1⁄2 | 68.49 [255] |
3 | 7 May | 95 | |
4 | 13 May | 96 | |
5 | 20 May | 49 | |
6 | 25 May | 57 | |
7 | 1 June | 57 | |
Total | 543 |
Following the first round, the BJP won its first seat after Mukesh Dalal, its candidate for Surat constituency in Gujarat was elected unopposed following rejection and withdrawal of other candidates. [256] [257]