India – one of the World’s largest democracies, is playing one of its most crucial ‘tournaments’ in 2024. The kick-off has already taken place on 19th April 2024 and will span over 44 days, seven phases and will have its finale on 7th June 2024 to decide who will rule this South Asian nation. A new government or another 5-year term for the current government?
From the Himalayas in the north to the Indian Ocean in the south, from the hills of the east to the deserts in the west, and in concrete jungles that are some of the world’s biggest cities to the smallest of villages, an estimated 969 million voters are eligible to cast their ballots. They will elect 543 politicians to the Lok Sabha (also termed as House of the People), the lower house of parliament. Two other members are nominated, to make up a total strength of 545 in the house.
India’s election is colossal, colourful, and complex and is a humongous democratic exercise that is unmatched in scale globally and in history.
The size of India’s electorate is more than the population of all the countries of Europe combined. They will cast their votes through 5.5 million electronic voting machines at 1.05 million polling stations, of which some are located in the snow-clad mountains in the Himalayas, the deserts of Rajasthan and sparsely populated islands in the Indian Ocean.
The Election Commission - the country’s independent poll-conducting body will deploy about 15 million polling staff and security personnel to conduct the elections. They will trek across glaciers and deserts, ride elephants and camels, travel by boats and helicopters to ensure every voter can cast their ballot.
The voting will take place in seven phases .The primary reason for the multiphase election is for the deployment of huge federal security forces required to check everything from polling-related violence or attempts at rigging. It is expected to be the world’s most expensive election. Spending by political parties and candidates to woo voters will likely cost more than 1.2 trillion rupees ($14.4bn), That would be twice what was spent in India’s 2019 elections – 600 billion rupees ($7.2bn). The total spending on the US presidential and congressional races in 2020 was also $14.4bn.
Holding elections in the world’s seventh largest nation by area is a complex task. In 2019, election workers travelled 300 miles (482 km) over four days across winding mountain roads and river valleys to set up a polling booth for one voter in the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, which borders China. Beijing claims a part of the state, and ensuring elections are held there is vital for New Delhi to demonstrate its sovereignty over the region.
Election officials also set up a voting booth at 15,256 feet (4,650 metres) in a village in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh, making it the highest polling station in the world. Far off the country’s east coast, on the remote Andaman and Nicobar Islands, workers travelled through crocodile-infested mangrove swamps and dense jungles to reach polling booths.
A multiparty democracy, India has about 2,660 registered political parties. Parties competing in elections each get symbols – like the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s lotus, the opposition Congress party’s hand, and others, ranging from an elephant to a bicycle, a comb to an arrow. These to help voters easily identify candidates, in a country where almost a quarter of the population is not literate. Parties that have a significant footprint in a state legislature are recognised as state parties. Those with a meaningful presence in multiple states get the national party tag.
The principal protagonists of the 2024 battle are Prime Minister Modi and his BJP, who led a coalition of more than three dozen parties; and the main opposition Congress party-led alliance of about two dozen parties.
In 2019, the BJP secured a landslide victory with 303 seats. Its coalition had a total of 353 seats. The Congress party won 52 seats, and 91 with partners.
Currently, the BJP is in pole position following recent state victories and is expected to win a majority, according to opinion polls. The BJP alone controls 12 of India’s 28 states, while the Congress governs in three states.
Under Prime Minister Modi’s rule for the last 9 years, India has changed a lot. He is currently the fourth largest serving leader in India. Over the years, he has topped the global approval ratings index which measures a leader’s popularity among the electorate.
From being the 10th largest economy in 2014 , India is now the 5th largest economy in terms of GDP. In the last 9 years it has surpassed countries like the UK, France, Italy, Canada and Brazil .
Under his leadership, India hosted the biggest world summit of G20 in 2023. The septuagenarian is the world's most-followed politician on Instagram, and has 97.5 million followers on X (formerly Twitter). And it's not just digital - he also shares his thoughts in a monthly radio programme.
Enhanced Policies, ground breaking projects , numerous global visits and interactions with global leaders world wide has helped Prime Minister Modi to portray himself and his party as a very strong contender for a third term.
However, on the other hand, opposition parties such as INDIA bloc ( a conglomeration of Congress who had held office for decades previously and other parties ) are also in the running for 2024 elections coming up with different manifestos, agendas, and campaigns to woo the voters .
One thing is certain, all eyes are on India’s elections currently and whoever wins will need to take India on a higher platform than it already is locally and globally. This election will pave the way for India to reach and extend its friendly hand to the world so that new friendships and alliances are broken, new paths are woven through diplomatic talks and global investments just so India comes out shining for the next decade or so.
India Awaits – The World Awaits!
Sources
Pradhan, Bibhudatta. “Just how big is India’s 2024 election? Find out in seven numbers”, Al Jazeera, 16 March 2024.
“From economy to politics: How India has changed during 9 years of Modi govt”, Times of India, May 30 2023.
As an imaginative soul with a passion for creativity, 15-year-old Anaya R. dreams of crafting worlds through words. With an avid love for reading, sketching, and exploring new landscapes, she aspires to be a beloved author and role model, leaving an indelible mark on the hearts of future generations.
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