LS Election 2024 Date: Around 97 crore are eligible to vote this time.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar announced the dates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections today. The polls will be held in 7 phases, beginning from April 19 and ending on June 1. The results will be declared on June 4. No simultaneous polls will be held, he said. The assembly polls for Andhra Pradesh will be on May 13, Sikkim on April 19, Arunachal Pradesh on April 19, and Odisha will be held on May 13. In a press conference today, the Election Commission said it is working towards combating the 4Ms (muscle, money, misinformation, and MCC violations) that hinder the path to free and fair elections.
Around 97 crore people are eligible to vote in the upcoming polls. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said that voters older than 85 years of age will be allowed to vote from home. He also said that minimum basic facilities like drinking water and toilets will be made available at all polling booths. The tenure of the present Lok Sabha ends on June 16 and a new House will have to be constituted before that. The tenure of the four state assemblies will also end in June.
In the last parliamentary polls, the BJP, seeking a third consecutive term this time, won 303 seats, while the Congress got 52 seats. The upcoming polls are extremely crucial for the Opposition bloc INDIA, fighting to stop the BJP's run.
Here are the Highlights:
Elections 2024: In Odisha, All Eyes On Hinjili
With the Election Commission of India (ECI) announcing simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Odisha, all eyes are now on Hinjili Assembly constituency in Ganjam district from where Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik won five times in a row since 2000.
The Lok Sabha and the Assembly elections in Odisha will be held in four phases May 13, 20, 25 and June 1.
The important Lok Sabha constituencies in the state are Sambalpur, Bhubaneswar, Sundergarh, Mayurbhanj, Puri and Koraput while key Assembly seats are Sambalpur, Chandbali, Jajpur, and Jeypore.
Naveen Patnaik won the Hinjili Assembly seat five times since 2000. Though Mr Patnaik has been elected from the seat in five Vidhan Sabha polls there has been a decline in his vote share. In the last three polls held in 2009, 2014 and 2019, the BJD's vote share was 76 per cent, 73 per cent and 66 per cent.
Elections 2024: Poll Preparedness
Waste Management:
Single-use plastic completely
Separate collection bins and proper signage
Adequate disposal facility for each type of waste Partner with local waste management recycling facilities
Minimisation of Paper:
Use of paper for voter list and electoral materials
Use of eBooks and eDocuments
Double-side printing, layout opitemization
Electronic mode of communication
Reducing Carbon Footprint:
Eco-trendly vehicles for transport Encourage carpooling and public transport
Renewable energy utilization of campaign events
Polling location to cut distance travelled by officials and voters
Elections 2024: Important Poll Announcements Recap
96.8 crore voters in the country
Male voters - 49.7 crore
Women voters - 47.1 crore
1.8 crore first-time voters
88.4 lakh voters are people with disabilities
48,000 from the transgender community
Elections 2024: "People Of Odisha Going To Create A New Record": Naveen Patnaik
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday said the people of the state are going to create a new record in the political history of the country in the next assembly elections.
Mr Patnaik, the ruling BJD president, apparently meant that after winning the assembly polls to be held between May 13 and June 1, he would become the longest-serving chief minister of India.
The assembly and Lok Sabha elections will be held simultaneously in the state.
"In a few months, the people of Odisha are going to create a new record in the political history of this country. I always feel profoundly blessed and humbled by the intense faith of the people which also inspires me to work harder," Mr Patnaik said while addressing the last cabinet meeting of his fifth term in office.
Arun Goel Quot Due To Personal Reasons: Chief Election Commissioner
Chief election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Saturday evaded a direct reply on the reason behind the sudden resignation of Election Commissioner Arun Goel and said his "personal space" should be respected.
At a press conference to announce the Lok Sabha elections schedule, Mr Kumar also said dissent within the poll panel is encouraged.
Goel, whose tenure was till December 2027, resigned last Saturday.
Asked about the resignation, Mr Kumar said, "Mr Arun was a very very distinguished member of our team, I thoroughly enjoyed working with him, but in every institution someone will have to be given the personal space, and I am sure personal space should not touched, one should not be insensitive to ask personal questions."
"We must respect if he had personal reasons to quit," he added.
Elections 2024: Jammu And Kashmir Polls Soon After Lok Sabha Elections
Elections 2024: Lok Sabha Elections 2024 From April 19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Says BJP-NDA Fully Prepared
We, the BJP-NDA, are fully prepared, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, soon after the Election Commission of India announced the schedule for the Lok Sabha elections. The elections, staggered over seven phases will begin on April 19 and end on June 1. The results will be declared on June 4.
"The biggest festival of democracy is here! EC (Election Commission) has announced the 2024 Lok Sabha election dates. We, the BJP-NDA, are fully prepared for elections. We are going to the people on the basis of our track record of good governance and service delivery across sectors," he posted on X.
Elections 2024: "AAP Is Well And Fully Prepared": Delhi Minister Gopal Rai
Elections 2024: Key Gujarat Seats To Look Out ForKey Gujarat seats to look out for
Total Seats: 26 seats
Gandhinagar: A BJP bastion for long, represented by Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani, it is now represented by Amit Shah.
Porbandar: The BJP is the dominant party here due to the large presence of Leuva Patidars. The party has fielded Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya from the seat.
Rajkot: It is a BJP stronghold that has given the party consistent wins since 1989.
Surat: The world's diamond polishing hub has embraced the BJP since 1989. Union Minister of State for Railways and Textiles Darshana Jardosh is the current MP from Surat.
Bharuch: Will see the combined might of the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party taking on the BJP. The Bharuch seat was once held by Congress leader late Ahmed Patel.
Elections 2024: Key seats to watch out for in UPKey seats to watch out for in UP
Uttar Pradesh sends 80 members to the Lok Sabha, the highest among all states.
Kannauj: Samajwadi Party president Akhllesh Yadav likely to contest from Kannauj with its significant presence of OBC and Muslim voters.
Mainpuri: An SP citadel represented once by Mulayam Singh Yadav, and currently by Dimple Yadav.
Raebareli: UP Congress leaders say they want Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to contest this family bastion held earlier by her mother Sonia Gandhi, who has now switched to the Rajya Sabha.
Amethi: In 2019, Union minister Smriti Irani defeated Rahul Gandhi from what had been his home turf. The BJP has fielded Irani here again this time.
Gorakhpur: Yogi Adityanath's 'karmabhoomi' which he represented in Parliament five times before he became the Uttar Pradesh chief minister.
Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's parliamentary constituency from where he is now contesting for the third time.
Kaiserganj: Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, BJP leader who faces charges of sexually harassing women players, has represented the constituency since 2009.
Faizabad: The parliamentary constituency has gained more prominence with the inauguration of the Ram temple -- Ayodhya is part of the district which was earlier known as Faizabad.
Rampur: Azam Khan's crumbling citadel.
Lok Sabha Election Date Live: "Fully Prepared For Elections": PM Narendra Modi
Elections 2024: JP Nadda Welcomes Lok Sabha Election Announcement"I welcome the announcement of Lok Sabha elections 2024 by the Election Commission. I call upon the people of the entire nation to vote in record numbers and further strengthen the foundation of the world's largest democracy. Under the leadership of respected Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji, BJP will form the government with an overwhelming majority and will work with determination to fulfill the aspirations of the people for the next 5 years," JP Nadda said.
Elections 2024: "No Scope For Hiding Things In Democracy": Poll Body Chief
"In democracy, no scope for hiding things. The country now has to also ask and find solutions through an institutional mechanism where donor's privacy is also considered. We have made it mandatory for all political parties to make declarations on contributions received on how much they received and spent annually. This information will be published on Election Commission website. But how do we control undisclosed donations? That something the country has to together work on," he said
Elections 2024: General Election Schedule For Dates22 states/ UTs to conduct polls on 1 date
4 states to conduct polls on 2 dates
2 states to hold polls on 3 dates
3 states to hold polls on 4 dates
2 states/UTs to hold polls on 5 dates
3 states to hold polls on 7 dates
Elections 2024: Poll Body Chief Addresses Election Officer's Sudden Exit
"I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent on the Election Commission with Arun Goel. He left because of personal reasons and we must respect that," Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on former Election Commissioner Aru Goel's resignation
Election Date Live: Poll Body Chief Defends Use Of EVMs: "Courts Rejected All Charges"
Courts looked into various complaints against EVMs 40 times and rejected all charges every time: Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar
Elections 2024: "7 Phases Necesary For Polls Because...": Poll Body Chief
Seven phases necessary keeping in mind geographic conditions, festivals, exams and other factors: Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Lok Sabha poll schedule.
Elections 2024: Here Is The Schedule For Lok Sabha Elections 2024
Election Date Live: Lok Sabha Poll Schedule ReleasedPhase 1 voting on April 19
Phase 2 voting on April 26
Phase 3 voting on May 7
Phase 4 voting on May 13
Phase 5 voting on May 20
Phase 6 voting on May 25
Phase 7 voting on June 1
RESULTS: JUNE 4
BREAKING: Phase 2 Of Polls To Begin From April 26, Result June 4
BREAKING: Lok Sabha Polls To Be Held In 7 Phases, Phase 1 On April 19, COuting June 4
The Lok Sabha Polls will begin from April 19 and counting will begin on June 4
BREAKING: Lok Sabha Polls To Begin From April 19
BREAKING: Schedule Of Assmebly ElectionsAndhra Pradesh
Election Date: May 13
Arunachal Pradesh
April 19
Sikkim
April 19
Odisha
Phase 1: May 13
Phase 2: May 20
BREAKING: By Elections In 26 Constituencies
Lok Sabha Election Date Live: "Money Seizures Rose By 835%": Poll Body Chief
"Money seizures rose by 835% to Rs 3,400 crore in last 11 state polls during 2022-23. We won't allow misuse of money power": Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar
Elections 2024: Election Commission Issues Advisory To Political Parties
Elections 2024: Election Commission's Advice To Avoid MisinformationSteps being taken to avoid misinformation:
- Social media outreach programs
- Verify before you amplify
- Political parties advised to ensure responsible Social Media behavior
- Fake news to be dealt with severely as per extant laws
- Section 79 (3)(B) of the IT Act empowers nodal officers in each state to remove unlawful content
Lok Sabha Election Date Live: Explained: Election Commission's 4M Challenges
Lok Sabha Election Date Live: "12 States Have More Female Than Male Voters": Chief Election Commissioner
Elections 2024: Rise In Seizures In Last 11 State Assembly Elections
Elections 2024: Poll Body Promises Basic Facilities At All Polling StationsThese facilities will be available at all polling stations:
- Drinking Water
- Toilets
- Signage
- Ramp/Wheelchair
- Help Desk
- Voter Facilitation Centre
- Sufficient Light
Elections 2024 Live Updates: India's Voters In Numbers- 96.8 crore voters
- 49.7 crore male voters
- 47.1 crore women voters
- 1.8 crore first-time voters
- 88.4 lakh persons with disabilities
- 19.1 lakh service electors
- 82 lakh voter are 85+ years old
- 48,000 transgender voters
- 19.74 crore young voters (20-29 year olds)
- 2.18 crore centenarian voters
Election Date Live Updates: "2024 The Year Of Election Across The World": Poll Body Chief
Elections 2024 In NumbersIndia has 97 crore voters - more than some continents combined
1.5 crore polling officers and security forces
55 lakh EVMs
Over 10.5 lakh polling stations
17 general elections held so far
400 assembly elections held so far
WATCH LIVE: Election Commission Announces Lok Sabha Election Dates
Election Date Live: Chief Poll Officer Addresses The Press ConferenceChief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar addresses the press conference.
BREAKING | Elections 2024: Election Commission's Press Conference BeginsThe Election Commission has begun its press conference and will announce the dates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections shortly.
Elections 2024: West Bengal At GlanceNumber of seats: 42
Big faces: Abhishek Banerjee, Shatrughan Sinha, Sukanta Majumdar
Key factors: CAA, Women's issues, Sandeshkhali violence
In 2019, TMC won 22 seats, BJP 18 and Congress 2
Alliances: Mamata Banerjee dumped INDIA alliance, Left and Congress may ally, BJP to fight alone
Election Date Live: 5 Facts About Bansuri Swaraj, BJPs Candidate For New Delhi SeatDaughter of late Sushma Swaraj, born on January 3, 1984
Bansuri Swaraj has been a lawyer for 15 years.
She completed her Master of Studies at St. Catherine's College, University of Oxford.
Bansuri Swaraj made headlines by speaking out against the AAP government in Delhi.
In a press conference, she criticised the government, calling it "quarrelsome" and "useless." Her critique focused on the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023.
Bansuri Swaraj was appointed co-convenor of the BJP Delhi's legal cell last year.
Elections 2024: Congress's 5 GuaranteesThe first job is guaranteed for every graduate and diploma holder aged below 25 years.
Apprenticeship for graduates and diploma holders for government offices.
A stipend of ₹ 1 lakh will be given over the one-year training period.
30 lakh vacancies in government jobs to be filled
Law against paper leaks. The government will conduct the competitive exams directly
Assured startup funds and social security for gig workers.
Election Dates: Everything To Know About Lok Sabha Election 2024The current term of the Lok Sabha will end on June 16 and the new House has to be constituted before that date.
In 2019, the general elections were held in seven phases beginning April 11 and the votes were counted on May 23.
In the polls, the BJP won 303 seats while the Congress got 52 seats.
Four states -- Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Odisha -- will also hold polls. Polls in Jammu and Kahsmir may also be announced.
Elections 2024: Lok Sabha Election Dates To Be Announced Soon
The Election Commission of India will announce the dates for the upcoming general elections shortly.
Lok Sabha Elections 2024: 5 Facts About Bhupesh Baghel, Congress Candidate From Chhattisgarh's RajnandgaonFormer Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel is set to return to the Lok Sabha race after a decade.
1) Born on August 23, 1961, in Durg district, Mr Baghel is the son of a farmer. He belongs to the Kurmi community and is an OBC face of the Congress in Chhattisgarh.
2) The 62-year-old began his career in politics in the early 1980s under the guidance of the Congress leader Chandulal Chandrakar. His first major success came in 1993 when he won the Madhya Pradesh Assembly election from Patan constituency. He was re-elected from the same seat in 1998.
3) After Chhattisgarh was carved out of Madhya Pradesh in 2000, Bhupesh Baghel became the Minister for Revenue, Public Health Engineering and Relief Work. He held the post until 2003.
4) After leading the Opposition for 15 years, he led the Congress party to a landslide victory in the 2018 Chhattisgarh Assembly elections. Mr Baghel, elected from the Patan seat, took oath as the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister on December 17, 2018.
5) In the 2023 Chhattisgarh Assembly polls, Mr Baghel was re-elected from the Patan seat, but the Congress managed to secure only 35 out of 90 seats. BJP's Vishnu Deo Sai took over as the Chief Minister.
Election Date Live: Will Be On Roads From 6am On Poll Days, Says Bengal GovernorWest Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Saturday expressed his commitment to actively engage in the upcoming general elections, pledging to put an end to violence and corruption in the state. He declared his intention to be present in the field from the very first day of the election process.
"I will be in the field right from day one of the election. My two priorities will be to see that no violence and corruption takes place during the election. I will be on the road at 6am before others wake up," he said.
Lok Sabha Elections 2024: 5 Facts About Yusuf Pathan, Trinamool Pick For Bengal Congress Stronghold BaharampurFormer Team India cricketer Yusuf Pathan will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on a Trinamool Congress ticket from the Baharampur seat in West Bengal.
1) Born on November 17, 1982, in Baroda, Yusuf Pathan is the elder of the Pathan siblings who have represented India in the late 2000s and early 2010s.
2) In 2007, he debuted in the T20 World Cup final against Pakistan, going on to win the title. He was also part of the squad that won the 2011 World Cup on home soil.
3)Known for big-hitting abilities, Yusuf Pathan won two more IPL titles with Kolkata Knight Riders.
4)Mr Pathan joins the illustrious list of cricketers who have represented India both on the field and in politics. Navjot Singh Sidhu, Mohammed Azharuddin, Gautam Gambhir, Kirti Azad, and Chetan Chauhan are some of the prominent names from the field of cricket who also tasted success in the political arena.
5) He will be up against a political heavyweight in Congress' Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury who has been undefeated from Baharampur since 1999.
Lok Sabha Elections 2024: 5 Points About Rahul Gandhi, Congress Candidate From Kerala WayanadCongress leader Rahul Gandhi will contest the Lok Sabha elections 2024 from Kerala's Wayanad. He was among the 39 candidates announced by Congress in its first list. Mr Gandhi is a four-time MP. He lost from Amethi in 2019.
1) Born on June 19, 1970 to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi is the grandson of Indira Gandhi, also a former Prime Minister, and the great-grandson of the country's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Rahul Gandhi was homeschooled after the assassination of Indira Gandhi.
2) Rahul Gandhi entered electoral politics during the 2004 Lok Sabha elections from UP's Amethi seat, then a stronghold of the Nehru-Gandhi family. The high-profile Lok Sabha seat was previously represented by Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Sanjay Gandhi.
3) The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) came to power in 2004. Rahul Gandhi wasn't a part of the government. He focused on working in the party and was appointed Congress's general secretary in 2007.
4) Rahul Gandhi was appointed Congress vice president in 2013. The UPA government suffered defeat at the hands of the Narendra Modi-led BJP's campaign in the 2014 elections. The Congress was reduced to its lowest-ever tally of 44 seats.
5) In 2017, Rahul Gandhi was appointed Congress president, replacing his mother Sonia Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi lost his family stronghold seat of Amethi, but was elected from Wayanad. He resigned from the post of Congress president in view of the party's dismal performance in the polls.
Lok Sabha Elections 2024: 5 Facts On Amit Shah, BJP's Gandhinagar CandidateUnion Home Minister Amit Shah will contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Gujarat's Gandhinagar.
1)Apart from his mother, the teachings of Kanhaiyalal Maneklal Munshi, an Independence movement activist, politician and writer, also had a deep influence on Amit Shah.
2) Amit Shah's interest in politics could be gauged from his active participation in the election campaign of Maniben Patel, the daughter of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, at the age of 13.A few years later, Mr Shah joined the RSS
3) Amit Shah, who became the secretary of BJP's Ahmedabad unit in 1989, participated in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and later in the Ekta Yatra.
4) In 1997, Amit Shah, already the National Treasurer of the BJP's Yuva Morcha, contested the Sarkhej assembly by-election and won by a margin of 25,000 votes. During his tenure as an MLA, Amit Shah developed close ties with then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, eventually forming one-half of the Modi-Shah juggernaut.
5) In 2014, he took over as the BJP National President and was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat in 2017. In 2019, he entered the Lok Sabha after winning the Gandhinagar seat by a margin of over 5 lakh votes. He became the country's Home Minister.
Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: 5 Facts On PM Narendra Modi, Who's Looking To Win From Varanasi AgainPrime Minister Narendra Modi will contest once again from Varanasi in the Lok Sabha polls as he seeks a record third term.
1) Born on September 17, 1950, in Vadnagar town of North Gujarat's Mehsana district, Narendra Modi lived with his entire family in a single-storey house.
2) As a child, Narendra Modi, was believed to have been inspired by the teachings of Swami Vivekananda.
3) At the age of 17, Narendra Modi left Vadnagar to travel across India, exploring cultures, and getting to know his country better. In 1972, Narendra Modi went to Ahmedabad and joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
4) In 1987, Narendra Modi entered mainstream politics and was made the General Secretary of BJP's Gujarat unit in a year. In 2001, the party's high command chose Narendra Modi to replace Keshubhai Patel as the Gujarat chief minister, a post he went on to hold until 2014.
5) In 2014, the BJP came to power at the Centre after a decade of Congress rule, and Narendra Modi, who by then had established himself as a name synonymous with development, was sworn in as India's Prime Minister.
Election 2024 Date LIVE: Who Are The New Election Commissioners Named To Poll Panel?
Two new Election Commissioners were inducted, after the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey in February and Arun Goel's surprise resignation last week. Former IAS officers Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu have been named to the panel.