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2024 Indian general election

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More than 968 million people out of a population of 1.4 billion people were eligible to vote, equivalent to 70 percent of the total population. 642 million voters participated in the election; 312 million of these were women, the highest ever participation by women voters. This was the largest-ever election, surpassing the previous election, and lasted 44 days, second only to the 1951–52 Indian general election. The legislative assembly elections in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Sikkim were held simultaneously with the general election, along with the by-elections for 25 constituencies in 12 legislative assemblies.

Incumbent prime minister Narendra Modi, who completed a second term, ran for a third consecutive term. His Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had enjoyed an absolute majority—a minimum of 272 seats—in the 2014 and 2019 elections. The primary opposition was the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), a coalition formed in 2023 by the Indian National Congress (INC) and many regional parties. The election was criticised for lack of action on hate speeches by Modi's BJP, reported electronic voting machine (EVM) malfunctioning, and suppression of political opponents of the BJP.

Opinion surveys of mainstream media outlets projected a decisive victory for the BJP and its coalition, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). However, the BJP won 240 seats, down from the 303 it had secured in 2019, and lost its singular majority in the Lok Sabha, although the NDA overall secured 293 of the house's 543 seats. The INDIA coalition outperformed expectations, securing 234 seats, 99 of which were won by the Congress, garnering the party the official opposition status for the first time in 10 years. Seven independents and ten candidates from non-aligned parties also won seats in the Lok Sabha.

According to the national data from the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) – Lokniti National Election Studies published in The Hindu, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) maintained a 3 percentage point lead in the overall national vote share (43% to 40%) over the INDIA alliance. The NDA maintained its strongest age advantage among young voters aged 18–25, capturing 46% of their vote compared to 33% for the INDIA bloc, The INDIA alliance performed best among non-literate voters, leading the NDA by 42% to 38%, whereas the NDA's support scaled up with higher education and economic affluence, peaking at 45% among graduates and 46% among the wealthiest class. Geographically, the spatial divide showed the NDA dominating large metropolitan cities and urban zones with a 45% vote share, but while the NDA bloc surged into a lead in small, semi-urban towns (42% to 41%), rural villages remained highly competitive with the NDA retaining a narrow 42% to 41% edge overall. In terms of communities, the NDA maintained a massive upper-caste Hindu anchor (61%) and held comfortable margins among Other Backward Classes (OBCs), while Scheduled Castes (Dalits) tied perfectly at 31% for both coalitions. Religious minorities, esoecially Muslims, heavily consolidated behind the opposition, with 65% of Muslims voting for the INDIA alliance,

Background

Contemporary politics and previous elections

India has a multi-party system with two major parties, namely the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress (INC), that dominate politics at the national level. The BJP has governed the country with Narendra Modi at the helm since 2014. The tenure of the 17th Lok Sabha was scheduled to end on 16 June 2024. The previous general election was held in April–May 2019, after which the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the BJP, formed the union government, with Modi continuing as Prime Minister. The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, comprising 26 opposition parties, was formed in 2023 to compete against the NDA in the elections.

Electoral system

Article 83 of the Constitution of India requires elections to the Lok Sabha to be held once every five years. The 543 MPs are elected from single-member constituencies using first-past-the-post voting. The 104th amendment to the constitution abolished the two seats that were reserved for the Anglo-Indian community.

Indian citizens who are 18 years or older, ordinary residents of the polling area of the constituency and registered to vote (name included in the electoral rolls), possess a valid voter identification card issued by the Election Commission of India or equivalent are eligible to vote. People convicted of electoral or other offenses and prisoners, are barred from voting. Indians holding foreign citizenship are not eligible to vote in India. There is no postal or online absentee voting in India; members of the Indian diaspora are required to travel back to their home constituencies in order to cast a ballot.

For the 2024 election, 968 million people were eligible to vote, an increase of about 150 million people from the 2019 election. In Arunachal Pradesh, a polling station would be set up for the only registered voter in the village of Malogam, as electoral laws stipulate that voting booths need to be within two kilometres (1.2 mi) of any settlement. A polling station was also set up inside the Gir Forest in Gujarat to cater for a single voter, a priest at a Hindu temple. Polling stations were also set up inside a wildlife sanctuary in Kerala, in a shipping container in Gujarat, and 320 relief camps hosting nearly 59,000 people displaced during violence in Manipur.

In March 2024, the Supreme Court of India rejected a petition by the Congress party to end the usage of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and revert to paper ballots and manual counting, which was the system used in elections until the late 1990s, with the party citing risks of electoral fraud. Nearly 5.5 million EVMs were utilized in more than one million polling stations with 15 million election workers and security personnel tasked with managing the conduct of the election.

For the first time, the Election Commission of India allowed voters with disabilities and those over the age of 85 to cast ballots from their homes. In Telangana, voting in some areas was extended by an hour more to allow voters to come at a more convenient time.

Planning

Key processes during a Lok Sabha election involved monitoring campaign expenditure, preventing the circulation of illicit goods, and ensuring adherence to the Model Code of Conduct. In the final 48 hours before voting, campaigns are ceased, and measures are implemented to maintain order and prevent disruptions. On polling day, strict rules are enforced to prevent undue influence and ensure a secure and free election process. After the elections, EVMs are sealed and stored under tight security with Booth Level Officers assisting throughout the process.

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