India’s general elections, held from 19 April to 1 June, 2024 in seven phases, were a monumental event in the world’s largest democracy. The elections aimed to elect all 543 members of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament. On 4 June, the votes were counted, and the results were declared, marking the formation of the 18th Lok Sabha.
In a nation of 1.4 billion people, more than 968 million individuals were eligible to vote, representing 70% of the total population. This year’s elections saw an unprecedented turnout, with 642 million voters participating, including a historic 312 million women voters.
The enthusiastic participation of women voters was the highest ever recorded, showcasing the inclusivity and vibrancy of India’s democratic process.
The elections were a testament to India’s organizational prowess, with over 68,000 monitoring teams and 1.5 million polling and security personnel ensuring a smooth and secure electoral process.
This massive exercise involved nearly 400,000 vehicles, 135 special trains, and 1,692 air sorties. Remarkably, only 39 repolls were required in the 2024 general elections, a significant reduction from the 540 repolls in 2019.
Jammu and Kashmir recorded their highest voter turnout in four decades, with an overall turnout of 58.58% and 51.05% in the Valley. The Election Commission of India oversaw a record seizure of nearly Rs.10,000 crore, almost three times the amount seized in 2019, ensuring the integrity of the electoral process.
The 2024 general elections were anticipated to be the world’s most expensive, with political parties and candidates spending over 1.2 trillion rupees ($14.4 billion) to engage voters.
India’s multiparty democracy, with 2,660 registered political parties, each featuring unique symbols to aid voter identification, stands as a beacon of democratic resilience and inclusivity in a diverse nation where a significant portion of the population is illiterate.
We take a look at unique records and milestones in graphics:
Also Read: Which states went the NDA way, which chose INDI alliance in the 2024 Lok Sabha election?
