Voters gear up: LS polls kick off with 102 constituencies in first phase
India embarks on the first phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections this Friday, marking the beginning of the world’s largest democratic event. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is vying for an unprecedented third term as 102 constituencies across 21 states and Union Territories cast their votes.
A staggering 16.63 crore individuals are set to participate in the electoral process on the opening day. With nearly 97 crore voters registered for the 543-seat Lok Sabha, the ruling BJP aims to challenge the dominance of Dravidian parties in Tamil Nadu and maintain its stronghold nationwide. Meanwhile, the Opposition INDIA bloc faces an arduous challenge to overthrow the BJP-led NDA.
The initial phase includes 35.67 lakh first-time voters and 3.51 crore young voters aged between 20-29 years. The vote counting will commence on June 4, following the conclusion of the elections on June 1.
Voting will encompass all seats in Tamil Nadu (39), Uttarakhand (5), Arunachal Pradesh (2), Meghalaya (2), Andaman and Nicobar Islands (1), Mizoram (1), Nagaland (1), Puducherry (1), Sikkim (1), and Lakshadweep (1). Additional polling will occur in 12 seats in Rajasthan, eight in Uttar Pradesh, six in Madhya Pradesh, five each in Assam and Maharashtra, four in Bihar, three in West Bengal, two in Manipur, and one each in Tripura, Jammu and Kashmir, and Chhattisgarh.
Concurrently, Arunachal Pradesh (60 seats) and Sikkim (32 seats) will conduct their Assembly elections.
Key candidates in the first phase include Union ministers Nitin Gadkari and Sarbananda Sonowal, Congress’s Gaurav Gogoi, and DMK’s Kanimozhi. K Annamalai, leading the BJP’s charge in Tamil Nadu, is also a notable contender.
Polling stations will open from 7 am to 6 pm, accommodating 8.4 crore male, 8.23 crore female, and 11,371 third-gender voters.
The Election Commission has mobilised over 18 lakh personnel to manage 1.87 lakh polling stations.
The NDA, under Modi’s leadership, seeks to solidify its majority, while the INDIA bloc aims to recover from setbacks in the previous two elections.
In addition to Gadkari and Sonowal, seven other Union ministers are contesting in the first phase. Former chief ministers Biplab Kumar Deb and Nabam Tuki, along with Tamilisai Soundararajan, who recently stepped down as Telangana’s governor, are also participating in the electoral fray.
In the 2019 elections, the UPA secured 45 of the 102 seats voting on Friday, with the NDA winning 41. Delimitation has since altered six of these constituencies.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Thursday urged people to cast their ballot and reminded people of the significance of each vote, saying there have been instances when one vote has mattered in a critical contest.
Elections are the most beautiful expression of India’s democracy and there is “nothing like voting”, he said in a video message.
In view of the heatwave conditions, Kumar said people must take all precautions. “But I know the spirit of the Indian voter will beat the summer heat,” he added.
“In our great democracy, elections belong to you, the choice belongs to you... you are deciding the government. You are doing it for your sake, for your family and children, for your village or town and, of course, for the country,” he said.
“I call upon the youth to lead a revolution in electoral participation.”
In Tamil Nadu, which accounts for the largest number of seats in the first phase, the BJP had drawn a blank in 2019. This time though, the BJP conducted a spirited campaign, led by Prime Minister Modi, in a bid to
Voting will begin at 7 am and end at 6 pm, though the closure of poll timings differs in some seats