New Delhi, Mar 16: The Lok Sabha polls will be held in seven phases spread over 44 days starting April 19 in the world’s largest election, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi eyeing a third consecutive term in office. Counting of votes will be taken up on June 4.
Announcing the poll schedule to elect the 543-member Lok Sabha, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar told a news conference on Saturday that over 97 crore voters–49.7 crore male and 47.1 crore female–are eligible to cast their votes across 10.5 lakh polling booths.
While the opposition INDIA bloc remains hit by internal bickerings, Modi, 73, is not just looking to stamp his electoral dominance in the country but is also chasing history looking for another consecutive victory that will equal the country’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s record.
Assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim will be held on April 19, and in Andhra Pradesh on May 13. Elections to Odisha assembly will be held in four phases on May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1.
Bypolls will also be held for 26 assembly constituencies in different states, said Kumar, who was flanked by the two new Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu.
Polling will be held in all seven phases in three states–Bihar, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, all considered key states in the fight for electoral supremacy.
The elections for the 18th Lok Sabha will begin on April 19 followed by subsequent phases on April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1, said Kumar. The entire election process, from the announcement of polls on Saturday to the declaration of results, lasts 82 days.
Asserting that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance(NDA) is fully prepared for the general elections, Prime Minister Modi slammed the opposition as “rudderless” and “issueless” and expressed confidence about retaining power.
“The biggest festival of democracy is here! EC has announced the 2024 Lok Sabha election dates. We, the BJP-NDA, are fully prepared for elections,” he said in a series of posts on X with the hashtag ‘Phir Ek Baar Modi Sarkar’ (‘once again Modi government’), shortly after the poll announcement.
Modi also highlighted the “glorious turnaround” India has seen in the 10 years of his government. He said the ruling alliance will go to people based on its track record of good governance and service delivery across sectors.
Pushing a brand of muscular nationalism entirely his own, the prime minister is building his campaign narrative around ‘Modi ki guarantee’ while the Congress campaign is expected to revolve around ‘Nyay guarantees’.
With the poll announcement, the Model Code of Conduct(MCC) has also come into effect.
“It is our promise to deliver a national election in a manner that we… remain a beacon for democracy around the world,” Kumar said, as he urged everyone to “get inked.”
He also advised the political parties against hate speeches, caste or religious appeals, criticism of any aspect of private life, masquerading of advertisements as news and social media posts vilifying or insulting rivals.
“I urge parties to refrain from personal attacks and foul language. No-go areas in speeches are defined to maintain civility. Let us not cross lines in our rivalry. We have issued an advisory for the political parties, they are encouraged to foster a political discourse that inspires rather than divides,” he said.
Drone-based checking at borders, surveillance of non-chartered flights, a crackdown on misleading advertisements and fake news, and “ruthless” action against poll violence are also among the EC’s strategies to deal with the four-fold challenge of “muscle, money, misinformation, and Model Code violations”.
“The daunting challenge in conducting free and fair elections are four-fold, the four Ms: muscle, money, misinformation, and MCC (Model Code of Conduct) violations. The Election Commission is committed and has put in place measures to deal with these disruptive challenges,” the CEC said.
Kumar also said Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir will be held as soon as possible after the Lok Sabha elections.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said the Lok Sabha elections was “perhaps the last chance to save democracy and our Constitution from dictatorship”.
“The 2024 Lok Sabha elections will open the ‘door of Nyay’ for India. This would be perhaps the last chance to save democracy and our Constitution from dictatorship,” he added.
In ethnic violence-hit Manipur, people living in camps will be allowed to vote from there with the EC making special two-phase voting arrangements in one of the two Lok Sabha constituencies.
In the first phase on April 19, voting will take place in 102 constituencies spread over 21 states/UTs, with 10 states/UTs completing the poll process in this phase.
Voting will take place in 89 constituencies across 13 states/UTs in the second phase on April 26, Kumar said, adding that the poll process would be completed in four more states/UTs.
In the third phase on May 7, voting will take place in 94 constituencies spread across 12 states/UTs. With this, polling will be completed in six more states/UTs.
In the fourth phase on May 13, 96 constituencies spread across 10 states UTs would vote. With this, three more states/UTs would have completed voting.
As many as 49 constituencies spread across eight states/UTs will vote in phase five on May 20. This phase will see voting completed in three more states/UTs.
In the sixth phase on May 25, voting will take place in 57 constituencies spread across seven states/UTs. Polling in two more states/UTs would be completed with this phase.
The seventh and final phase will take place on June 1 in 57 constituencies spread across eight states/UTs. The polling process in eight states/UTs would be completed.
Seen by political watchers as the favourite to retain power for a third straight term, the BJP has set itself an ambitious target of winning 370 Lok Sabha seats. The BJP also hopes to make the most of the religious fervour generated by the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22.
Entering the Lok Sabha poll fray after two successive defeats with its political image considerably dented, the Congress on the other hand faces a tough battle for its very survival this election as it fights a powerful BJP.
On the poll schedule, the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal said there is no valid reason for holding elections in seven phases for the 42 seats in the eastern state, claiming that more phases help political parties with deeper pockets.
Addressing a press conference in Kolkata, Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya also claimed that the EC did not take into account the state government’s suggestion of holding the elections in a single phase or two phases in the state. (Agencies)
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