World’s Biggest Election Begins Today as Lok Sabha Ballot Train Arrives in 21 Indian States, UTs

The world’s biggest election exercise begins in India on Friday, with close to a billion people eligible to vote in the seven-phase Lok Sabha polls spread over six weeks to elect 543 lawmakers as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party-led government seek a rare third consecutive five-year term at the Centre.

Polling will take place in different parts of India over seven days: April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1. The votes will be counted on June 4.

The BJP’s ambition to emerge as a force challenging the Dravidian parties in Tamil Nadu and determination to retain its strongholds across the country is set to be put to a stern test in the polls even as the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc is facing a herculean task to dislodge the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

In Friday’s opening phase, 102 constituencies in 21 states and union territories will go to polls: Arunachal Pradesh (2 seats), Assam (5), Bihar (4), Chhattisgarh (1), Madhya Pradesh (6), Maharashtra (5), Manipur (2), Meghalaya (2), Mizoram (1), Nagaland (1), Rajasthan (12), Sikkim (1), Tamil Nadu (39), Tripura (1), Uttar Pradesh (8), Uttarakhand (5), West Bengal (3), Andaman and Nicobar (1), Jammu and Kashmir (1), Lakshadweep (1), and Puducherry (1).

Among the prominent candidates in this round are eight union ministers: Nitin Gadkari (Nagpur), Kiren Rijiju (Arunachal West), Sarbananda Sonowal (Dibrugarh), Sanjeev Baliyan (Muzaffarnagar), Jitendra Singh (Udhampur), Bhupender Yadav (Alwar), and Arjun Ram Meghwal (Bikaner). Two former chief ministers—Biplab Kumar Deb (West Tripura) and Nabam Tuki (Arunachal West)—are also among the contestants.

Over 16.63 crore people are eligible to vote in the first phase of the elections. Among them are 35.67 lakh first-time voters, besides 3.51 crore young voters in the age group of 20-29 years. In all, they comprise 8.4 crore men, 8.23 crore women, and 11,371 people from the third gender.

Simultaneously, assembly elections will be held in Arunachal Pradesh (60 seats) and Sikkim (32 seats).

President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday urged citizens to vote, stressing the importance of participation in shaping the future of the country, and asking particularly first-time voters to seize this moment of empowerment.

Voting will begin at 7 am and end at 6 pm in most places. The Election Commission has deployed over 18 lakh personnel across 1.87 lakh polling stations.

In 2019, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) won 45 of the 102 seats up for grabs on Friday and the NDA bagged 41.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar too on Thursday appealed to people to cast their ballot and reminded them of the significance of each vote. There have been instances when one vote has mattered in a critical contest, he said.

Elections are the most beautiful expression of India’s democracy and there is “nothing like voting", he said in a video message.

(With agency inputs)

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