Explain 2024 Indian Lok Sabha election in detail

The 2024 Indian general election, held from April 19 to June 1, 2024, was a monumental democratic exercise to elect all 543 members of the 18th Lok Sabha, India’s lower house of parliament. Conducted in seven phases, it was the world’s largest election, with over 968 million eligible voters—70% of India’s 1.4 billion population—and a record-breaking 642 million voters participating, including 312 million women, the highest-ever female voter turnout. The results, announced on June 4 and 5, 2024, saw the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secure a majority with 293 seats, while the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) won 234 seats. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was sworn in for a third term on June 9, 2024, leading a coalition government for the first time, as the BJP fell short of an absolute majority. Below is a detailed analysis of the election, its processes, key parties, results, and implications, drawing on available sources.

Election Process and Schedule

• Phases and Timeline:
  • The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the election schedule on March 16, 2024, with voting spread across seven phases: April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1. This phased approach accommodated India’s vast geographical and logistical challenges.
  • Vote counting began on June 4, 2024, at 8:00 AM, with results declared by June 5. The 17th Lok Sabha’s term ended on June 16, 2024, and the 18th Lok Sabha was constituted thereafter.
  • Specific adjustments included rescheduling polling in Betul, Madhya Pradesh (from April 26 to May 7 due to a candidate’s death) and Anantnag-Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir (from May 7 to May 25 due to weather conditions). Repolling occurred in one booth each in Barasat and Mathurapur, West Bengal, on June 3 due to violence.
• Electoral System:
  • The 543 Lok Sabha seats were elected from single-member constituencies using first-past-the-post voting. The 104th Constitutional Amendment (2019) abolished two reserved seats for the Anglo-Indian community, reducing the total to 543.
  • Eligibility required voters to be Indian citizens, 18 or older, registered in their constituency’s electoral roll, and in possession of a valid voter ID issued by the ECI.
  • Nearly 5.5 million electronic voting machines (EVMs) were used across over 1 million polling stations, managed by 15 million election workers and security personnel. For the first time, voters with disabilities and those over 85 could vote from home, and Telangana extended voting hours in some areas for convenience.
• Voter Turnout:
  • Total turnout was 65.79% (642 million voters), slightly lower than 2019’s 67.4%. Phase 4 (May 13) recorded the highest turnout at 69.16%, while Phase 7 (June 1) had the lowest at 61.63%.
  • Women’s participation was historic, with 312 million female voters, reflecting increased engagement in the democratic process.

Key Parties and Alliances

• National Democratic Alliance (NDA):
  • Led by the BJP, the NDA is a centre-right to right-wing coalition including parties like Telugu Desam Party (TDP, Andhra Pradesh), Janata Dal (United) (JD(U), Bihar), Shiv Sena (SHS, Maharashtra), and others.
  • The BJP aimed for 370 seats independently and 400 for the NDA, banking on Prime Minister Modi’s popularity and achievements like the Ram Temple consecration in Ayodhya (January 2024).
  • Key NDA allies included TDP (16 seats), JD(U) (12 seats), and Shiv Sena (7 seats).
• Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA):
  • Formed in 2023, INDIA is a big-tent opposition coalition led by the Indian National Congress (INC), comprising 26 parties, including Samajwadi Party (SP, Uttar Pradesh), All India Trinamool Congress (AITC, West Bengal), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK, Tamil Nadu), and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
  • The coalition aimed to challenge the BJP’s dominance by uniting diverse regional and ideological groups to prevent a third consecutive BJP term.
• Other Parties:
  • Six national parties contested: BJP, INC, Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), National People’s Party (NPP), and AAP. BSP contested independently in most states, while others aligned with NDA or INDIA.
  • Regional parties like Biju Janata Dal (BJD, Odisha) and Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP, Andhra Pradesh) also competed independently.

Election Results

• Overall Seat Distribution:
  • NDA: 293 seats (BJP: 240, TDP: 16, JD(U): 12, Shiv Sena: 7, others: 18). The BJP fell 32 seats short of the 272 needed for a majority, losing 63 seats compared to 2019 (303 seats).
  • INDIA: 234 seats (INC: 99, SP: 37, AITC: 29, DMK: 22, others: 47). The INC nearly doubled its 2019 tally (52 seats).
  • Others: 16 seats, including independents and smaller parties like All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM, 1 seat).
  • Narendra Modi was elected NDA leader and sworn in as Prime Minister on June 9, 2024, forming a coalition government with TDP’s N. Chandrababu Naidu and JD(U)’s Nitish Kumar as key allies.
• State-Wise Highlights:
  • Uttar Pradesh (80 seats): A major setback for the BJP, which won 33 seats (down from 62 in 2019), while SP secured 37 and INC 6, totaling 43 for INDIA. Notably, the BJP lost Faizabad (Ayodhya), a symbolic defeat given the Ram Temple’s prominence.
  • Maharashtra (48 seats): The BJP’s tally dropped to 9 seats (from 23 in 2019), with INDIA winning 30 seats (INC: 13, Shiv Sena (UBT): 9, NCP (Sharad Pawar): 8).
  • West Bengal (42 seats): AITC dominated with 29 seats (up from 22), while BJP won 12 (down from 18). Basirhat saw AITC’s Haji Nurul Islam win, credited to Mamata Banerjee’s welfare schemes.
  • Kerala (20 seats): The BJP secured its first-ever Lok Sabha seat in Thrissur (Suresh Gopi, 74,686-vote margin), while INC won 14 seats. The BJP’s outreach to Christian voters, leveraging anti-Muslim narratives like “love jihad,” contributed to this breakthrough.
  • Bihar (40 seats): The NDA won 30 seats (BJP: 12, JD(U): 12, LJP: 5), while INDIA secured 9 (RJD: 4, INC: 3, others: 2).
  • Odisha (21 seats): The BJP swept 20 seats, up from 8 in 2019, ending BJD’s dominance in both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
  • Andhra Pradesh (25 seats): TDP, allied with BJP, won 16 seats, while YSRCP was reduced to 4 (from 22 in 2019).
• Key Candidates:
  • Winners: Narendra Modi (BJP, Varanasi, UP), Amit Shah (BJP, Gandhinagar, Gujarat), Rahul Gandhi (INC, Wayanad, Kerala), Akhilesh Yadav (SP, Kannauj, UP), Shashi Tharoor (INC, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala), Nitin Gadkari (BJP, Nagpur, Maharashtra).
  • Losers: Smriti Irani (BJP, Amethi, UP), Raj Babbar (INC, Gurgaon, Haryana).
  • Notable: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (INC) won the Wayanad by-election (November 2024) with a 4,10,931-vote margin, surpassing Rahul Gandhi’s 2024 margin.

Key Issues and Campaign Dynamics

• Economic Concerns: Unemployment and rising prices were major voter issues. The INDIA alliance criticized Modi’s economic record, while the BJP highlighted infrastructure and welfare achievements.
• Ram Temple: The BJP’s campaign centered on the January 2024 Ram Temple consecration in Ayodhya, but the loss in Faizabad suggested limited electoral impact.
• EVM Controversies: The INC’s petition to revert to paper ballots was rejected by the Supreme Court in March 2024. Allegations of EVM mismatches (e.g., by Bhupesh Baghel in Chhattisgarh) raised concerns, though no evidence of widespread fraud was confirmed.
• Coalition Politics: The BJP’s failure to secure a majority forced reliance on allies like TDP and JD(U), marking a shift from its 2014–2024 single-party dominance.
• Regional Dynamics: The BJP faced setbacks in Hindi heartland states (Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan) but gained in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. INDIA’s resurgence in Uttar Pradesh (SP) and Maharashtra (INC, Shiv Sena (UBT)) highlighted regional diversity.

Voting Trends and Analysis

• Voter Turnout by Phase:
  • Phase 1 (April 19): 66.14%
  • Phase 2 (April 26): 66.71%
  • Phase 3 (May 7): 65.68%
  • Phase 4 (May 13): 69.16%
  • Phase 5 (May 20): 62.2%
  • Phase 6 (May 25): 63.37%
  • Phase 7 (June 1): 61.63%
• Demographic Shifts: The high female turnout (312 million) reflected growing gender inclusivity. Urban constituencies (62 seats) and rural constituencies (298 seats) showed varied preferences, with urban areas leaning slightly toward INDIA.
• Surprises: The BJP’s loss in Faizabad, Maharashtra’s shift to INDIA, and Kerala’s BJP breakthrough were unexpected, defying exit polls predicting an NDA landslide (e.g., 371 seats by ANI’s exit poll).

Implications

• Coalition Government: Modi’s third term as a coalition leader, reliant on TDP and JD(U), may slow major reforms due to the need for consensus, as noted by CSIS analysis. This contrasts with the BJP’s 2014–2024 dominance.
• Opposition Resurgence: The INDIA alliance’s 234 seats, especially INC’s 99 and SP’s 37, signaled a stronger opposition, particularly in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.
• Global Impact: International media (e.g., Global Times, Dawn) noted the BJP’s reduced majority could limit Modi’s ambitious manufacturing goals and affect India’s geopolitical stance, though U.S.-India ties remain strong due to shared concerns about China.

Sources

• Wikipedia for election overview and results (,,).
• Election Commission of India for turnout and procedural details (,,).
• The Hindu for state-wise analysis and voting trends (,,).
• Times of India for party-wise tallies and candidate outcomes (,).
• Al Jazeera for surprises and regional insights ().
• ANI posts on X for initial trends (,,,).

Conclusion

The 2024 Lok Sabha election was a historic democratic exercise, marked by high voter turnout, especially among women, and a shift to coalition politics. The NDA’s 293 seats secured Modi’s third term, but the BJP’s loss of an absolute majority and INDIA’s strong 234-seat performance reshaped India’s political landscape. Key surprises, like the BJP’s losses in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra and gains in Kerala and Odisha, underscored regional diversity. The election highlighted the resilience of Indian democracy, with robust participation despite logistical challenges and controversies over EVMs. For further details, check the ECI’s official results (https://results.eci.gov.in) or The Hindu’s interactive analysis (https://www.thehindu.com).,,,