India’s general elections in 2024 could be one of the world’s largest ever, according to experts

Nearly 1 billion Indians will vote over 6 weeks to elect a new parliament, in a contest between PM Modi's BJP seeking a third term and the opposition alliance led by Congress.

India, with the largest population base and the largest democracy in the international scene, is set for a massive general election starting on April 19. Close to 900 million eligible voters spread all over the vast country will vote to elect a new 543-seat lower house of parliament in an election scheduled to be held in seven phases in a month and a half.

The election can be seen as a vote of confidence in an incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to secure a third consecutive term in government. According to several opinion polls, the Modi and the BJP-led alliance are expected to have an upper hand against the main opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (India) led by the Indian National Congress party.

However, the campaign has been characterized by an accusation from the opposition parties that the playing field is tilted in the incumbent’s favor as leaders are detained for corruption charges whose legitimacy is questionable and that regulatory agencies have been turned into instruments of political intolerance against the campaign. The Election Commission has dismissed these allegations, solemnly promising to conduct a transparent election.

Major topics influencing the election include the BJP’s animus toward Muslims, the new grand Ram temple in Ayodhya, the Indian economic growth parallel to the sustained poverty, high unemployment rates, the funding through the electoral bonds, and the Modi government’s large welfare schemes.  

With 1. India’s 4 billion people means that its elections demand significant security and organizational work, which reaches 1. There are about 5 million voting stations established in various places including schools, remote and even the jungles. The Election Commission also posits to ‘democratize the process of voting by reaching out to every corner of India’.

Also Read: India Election 2024: Exit Polls Indicate That Modi is on the Verge to Win Third Term

After the elections are held on June 1st, the results will be out by June 4th, to decide whether Modi will be able to rewrite history with a third term or if the Indian voters will choose a new path with the help of the opposition alliance. The massive democratic process entails significant consequences regarding India’s future at home and its place in the world.