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General elections will be held in India from 19 April 2024 to 1 June 2024 to elect the 543 members of the 18th Lok Sabha. The elections will be held in seven phases and the results will be announced on 4 June 2024. This will be the largest-ever election in the history, surpassing the 2019 Indian general election, and will last 44 days, second only to the 1951–52 Indian general election. The incumbent prime minister Narendra Modi, who completed a second term, is contesting for a third consecutive term.
Approximately 960 million individuals out of a population of 1.4 billion are eligible to participate in the elections.[1][2][3] The Legislative assembly elections in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Sikkim will be held simultaneously with the general election, along with the by-elections for 35 seats among 16 states.
India has a multi-party system with two major parties, namely the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Indian National Congress dominating the politics at the national level. The Bharatiya Janata Party has governed the country with Narendra Modi at the helm since 2014. The tenure of the 17th Lok Sabha is scheduled to end on 16 June 2024.[4] The previous general election was held in April–May 2019, after which the, National Democratic Alliance, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, formed the union government, with Modi continuing as Prime Minister.[5]
Article 83 of the Constitution of India requires elections to the Lok Sabha to be held once every five years.[6] All 543 elected MPs are elected from single-member constituencies using first-past-the-post voting.[7] The 104th amendment to the constitution abolished the two seats that were reserved for the Anglo-Indian community.[8]
Eligible voters must be Indian citizens, 18 years or older, ordinary resident 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.[9] Some people convicted of electoral or other offenses are barred from voting.[10]
For the 2024 election, 968 million people are eligible to vote, an increase of about 150 million people from the 2019 election.[11]
In March 2024, the Supreme Court of India rejected a petition by the Congress Party to end the usage of electronic voting machines 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.[12]
The election schedule for the 18th Lok Sabha was announced by the Election Commission of India on 16 March 2024, and with it the Model Code of Conduct came into effect.[13] The tenure of the 17th Lok Sabha is scheduled to end on 16 June 2024.[14]
Poll event | Phase | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | |
Notification date | 20 March | 28 March | 12 April | 18 April | 26 April | 29 April | 7 May |
Last date for filing nomination | 27 March | 4 April | 19 April | 25 April | 3 May | 6 May | 14 May |
Scrutiny of nomination | 28 March | 5 April | 20 April | 26 April | 4 May | 7 May | 15 May |
Last date for withdrawal of nomination | 30 March | 8 April | 22 April | 29 April | 6 May | 9 May | 17 May |
Date of poll | 19 April | 26 April | 7 May | 13 May | 20 May | 25 May | 1 June |
Date of counting of votes/Result | 4 June 2024 | ||||||
No. of constituencies | 102 | 89 | 94 | 96 | 49 | 57 | 57 |
State/Union territory | Total
constituencies |
Election dates and number of constituencies | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Phase 1 | Phase 2 | Phase 3 | Phase 4 | Phase 5 | Phase 6 | Phase 7 | ||
19 April | 26 April | 7 May | 13 May | 20 May | 25 May | 1 June | ||
Andhra Pradesh | 25 (1 phase) | 25 | ||||||
Arunachal Pradesh | 2 (1 phase) | 2 | ||||||
Assam | 14 (3 phases) | 5 | 5 | 4 | ||||
Bihar | 40 (7 phases) | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 |
Chhattisgarh | 11 (3 phases) | 1 | 3 | 7 | ||||
Goa | 2 (1 phase) | 2 | ||||||
Gujarat | 26 (1 phase) | 26 | ||||||
Haryana | 10 (1 phase) | 10 | ||||||
Himachal Pradesh | 4 (1 phase) | 4 | ||||||
Jharkhand | 14 (4 phases) | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | |||
Karnataka | 28 (2 phases) | 14 | 14 | |||||
Kerala | 20 (1 phase) | 20 | ||||||
Madhya Pradesh | 29 (4 phases) | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | |||
Maharashtra | 48 (5 phases) | 5 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 13 | ||
Manipur | 2 (2 phases) | 1+1⁄2[n 1] | 1⁄2[n 1] | |||||
Meghalaya | 2 (1 phase) | 2 | ||||||
Mizoram | 1 (1 phase) | 1 | ||||||
Nagaland | 1 (1 phase) | 1 | ||||||
Odisha | 21 (4 phases) | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | |||
Punjab | 13 (1 phase) | 13 | ||||||
Rajasthan | 25 (2 phases) | 12 | 13 | |||||
Sikkim | 1 (1 phase) | 1 | ||||||
Tamil Nadu | 39 (1 phase) | 39 | ||||||
Telangana | 17 (1 phase) | 17 | ||||||
Tripura | 2 (2 phases) | 1 | 1 | |||||
Uttar Pradesh | 80 (7 phases) | 8 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 |
Uttarakhand | 5 (1 phase) | 5 | ||||||
West Bengal | 42 (7 phases) | 3 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 1 (1 phase) | 1 | ||||||
Chandigarh | 1 (1 phase) | 1 | ||||||
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | 2 (1 phase) | 2 | ||||||
Delhi | 7 (1 phase) | 7 | ||||||
Jammu and Kashmir | 5 (5 phases) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
Ladakh | 1 (1 phase) | 1 | ||||||
Lakshadweep | 1 (1 phase) | 1 | ||||||
Puducherry | 1 (1 phase) | 1 | ||||||
Constituencies | 543 | 101+1⁄2 | 88+1⁄2 | 94 | 96 | 49 | 57 | 57 |
Total constituencies by end of phase | 101+1⁄2 | 190 | 284 | 380 | 429 | 486 | 543 | |
% complete by end of phase | 18.69 | 34.99 | 52.30 | 69.98 | 79.01 | 89.50 | 100 | |
Result | 543 |
Main article: List of political parties in India |
The politics of India has become increasingly bipolar in the run-up to the 2024 Indian general elections with two major alliances emerging; the incumbent NDA (National Democratic Alliance) and the opposition INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance). Six national parties are contesting the 2024 Indian general elections: BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), INC (Indian National Congress), CPIM (Communist Party of India (Marxist)), BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party), NPP (National People's Party) and AAP (Aam Aadmi Party) with all except the BSP being a part of one of the alliances.
Main article: National Democratic Alliance |
The National Democratic Alliance, abbreviated as NDA (IAST: Rāṣhṭrīya Jānātāntrik Gaṭhabandhan) is a big-tent, mostly centre-right to right-wing political alliance led by the Bharatiya Janata Party.
This section is transcluded from List of National Democratic Alliance candidates in the 2024 Indian general election#Seat sharing summary. (edit | history) |
Party | State/UTs | Seats Contested | Won | +/- | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bharatiya Janata Party | Uttar Pradesh | 75 | 446 | |||||
West Bengal | 42 | |||||||
Maharashtra | 30 | |||||||
Madhya Pradesh | 29 | |||||||
Gujarat | 26 | |||||||
Rajasthan | 25 | |||||||
Karnataka | 25 | |||||||
Tamil Nadu | 23 | |||||||
Odisha | 21 | |||||||
Bihar | 17 | |||||||
Telangana | 17 | |||||||
Kerala | 16 | |||||||
Jharkhand | 13 | |||||||
Punjab | 13 | |||||||
Assam | 11 | |||||||
Chhattisgarh | 11 | |||||||
Haryana | 10 | |||||||
Delhi | 7 | |||||||
Andhra Pradesh | 6 | |||||||
Jammu and Kashmir | 5 | |||||||
Uttarakhand | 5 | |||||||
Himachal Pradesh | 4 | |||||||
Arunachal Pradesh | 2 | |||||||
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | 2 | |||||||
Goa | 2 | |||||||
Tripura | 2 | |||||||
Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 1 | |||||||
Chandigarh | 1 | |||||||
Ladakh | 1 | |||||||
Manipur | 1 | |||||||
Mizoram | 1 | |||||||
Puducherry | 1 | |||||||
Sikkim | 1 | |||||||
Telugu Desam Party | Andhra Pradesh | 17 | ||||||
Janata Dal (United) | Bihar | 16 | ||||||
Shiv Sena | Maharashtra | 13 | ||||||
Pattali Makkal Katchi | Tamil Nadu | 10 | ||||||
Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) | Bihar | 5 | ||||||
Nationalist Congress Party | Maharashtra | 4 | 5 | |||||
Lakshadweep | 1 | |||||||
Bharath Dharma Jana Sena | Kerala | 4 | ||||||
Janata Dal (Secular) | Karnataka | 3 | ||||||
Tamil Maanila Congress | Tamil Nadu | 3 | ||||||
Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazhagam | Tamil Nadu | 2 | ||||||
Apna Dal (Soneylal) | Uttar Pradesh | 2 | ||||||
Asom Gana Parishad | Assam | 2 | ||||||
Jana Sena Party | Andhra Pradesh | 2 | ||||||
National People's Party | Meghalaya | 2 | ||||||
Rashtriya Lok Dal | Uttar Pradesh | 2 | ||||||
All Jharkhand Students Union | Jharkhand | 1 | ||||||
Hindustani Awam Morcha | Bihar | 1 | ||||||
Independent | Tamil Nadu | 1 | ||||||
Naga People's Front | Manipur | 1 | ||||||
Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party | Nagaland | 1 | ||||||
Rashtriya Lok Morcha | Bihar | 1 | ||||||
Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party | Uttar Pradesh | 1 | ||||||
Rashtriya Samaj Paksha | Maharashtra | 1 | ||||||
United People's Party Liberal | Assam | 1 | ||||||
Total | 543 |
Main article: Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance |
The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, abbreviated as INDIA (IAST: Bhāratīya Rāṣṭrīya Vikāsaśīla Samāveśī Gaṭhabaṃdhana) is a big-tent, mostly centre-left to left-wing bloc of opposition parties.[15][16]
On the run up to the general election numerous opposition parties met to form a new opposition alliance to defeat the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. After numerous talks 24 political parties came together to form the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).
This section is transcluded from List of Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance candidates for the 2024 Indian general election#Seat sharing summary. (edit | history) |
Parties | States/UTs | Seats contested | Won | +/- | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Indian National Congress | Karnataka | 28 | 325 + TBD | |||||
Madhya Pradesh | 28[21] | |||||||
Gujarat | 24[22] | |||||||
Rajasthan | 22 | |||||||
Andhra Pradesh | 11+TBD | |||||||
Odisha | 18 | |||||||
Maharashtra | 17 | |||||||
Telangana | 17 | |||||||
Uttar Pradesh | 17[21] | |||||||
Kerala | 16[23] | |||||||
Punjab | 13[24] | |||||||
Assam | 13 | |||||||
West Bengal | 13+TBD | |||||||
Chattisgarh | 11 | |||||||
Bihar | 9 | |||||||
Haryana | 9[25] | |||||||
Tamil Nadu | 9[26] | |||||||
Jharkhand | 7 | |||||||
Uttarakhand | 5 | |||||||
Himachal Pradesh | 4 | |||||||
Delhi | 3[25] | |||||||
Arunachal Pradesh | 2[27] | |||||||
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | 2 | |||||||
Goa | 2[25] | |||||||
Jammu and Kashmir | 2 | |||||||
Manipur | 2 | |||||||
Meghalaya | 2[18] | |||||||
Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 1 | |||||||
Chandigarh | 1[25] | |||||||
Ladakh | 1 | |||||||
Lakshadweep | 1[18] | |||||||
Mizoram | 1 | |||||||
Nagaland | 1[18] | |||||||
Puducherry | 1[26] | |||||||
Sikkim | 1[18] | |||||||
Tripura | 1[28] | |||||||
Samajwadi Party | Uttar Pradesh | 62 | ||||||
Communist Party of India (Marxist) | West Bengal | 23+TBD | 51[29]
+ TBD |
|||||
Kerala | 15 | |||||||
Tamil Nadu | 2 | |||||||
Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 1 | |||||||
Andhra Pradesh | 1 | |||||||
Assam | 1 | |||||||
Bihar | 1 | |||||||
Jharkhand | 1 | |||||||
Karnataka | 1 | |||||||
Maharashtra | 1 | |||||||
Odisha | 1 | |||||||
Punjab | 1 | |||||||
Rajasthan | 1 | |||||||
Telangana | 1 | |||||||
Tripura | 1 | |||||||
All India Trinamool Congress | West Bengal | 42[30] | 48 | |||||
Assam | 4[31] | |||||||
Meghalaya | 1[32] | |||||||
Uttar Pradesh | 1[33] | |||||||
Communist Party of India | Jharkhand | 8[27] | 27+ TBD | |||||
Uttar Pradesh | 5[34] | |||||||
Kerala | 4[35] | |||||||
Madhya Pradesh | 2 | |||||||
Tamil Nadu | 2[36] | |||||||
West Bengal | 2[37] | |||||||
Andhra Pradesh | 1 | |||||||
Assam | 1 | |||||||
Bihar | 1 | |||||||
Chhattisgarh | 1 | |||||||
Maharashtra | 1 | |||||||
Odisha | 1 | |||||||
Rashtriya Janata Dal | Bihar | 23 | 24 | |||||
Jharkhand | 1 | |||||||
Aam Aadmi Party | Punjab | 13[24] | 22[25] | |||||
Delhi | 4 | |||||||
Assam | 2[38] | |||||||
Gujarat | 2 | |||||||
Haryana | 1 | |||||||
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | Tamil Nadu | 21 | ||||||
Shiv Sena (UBT) | Maharashtra | 21 | ||||||
Nationalist Congress Party (SP) | Maharashtra | 10 | 11 | |||||
Lakshadweep | 1 | |||||||
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha | Jharkhand | 5 | 6 | |||||
Odisha | 1 | |||||||
All India Forward Bloc | Maharashtra | 3 | 5 | |||||
West Bengal | 2 | |||||||
Bihar | 1 | |||||||
Jammu and Kashmir | 1 | |||||||
Madhya Pradesh | ||||||||
Communist Party of India(M–L)L | Bihar | 3 | 4 | |||||
Jharkhand | 1 | |||||||
Indian Union Muslim League | Kerala | 2[23] | 3 | |||||
Tamil Nadu | 1[39] | |||||||
Jammu & Kashmir National Conference | Jammu and Kashmir | 3 | ||||||
Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party | Jammu and Kashmir | 3 | ||||||
Revolutionary Socialist Party | West Bengal | 2[40] | 3 | |||||
Kerala | 1[23] | |||||||
Vikassheel Insaan Party | Bihar | 3[41] | ||||||
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi | Tamil Nadu | 2[42] | 3 | |||||
Karnataka | ||||||||
Kerala | ||||||||
Assam Jatiya Parishad | Assam | 1[43] | ||||||
Kerala Congress | Kerala | 1[23] | ||||||
Kerala Congress (M) | Kerala | 1[35] | ||||||
Kongunadu Makkal Desia Katchi | Tamil Nadu | 1[39] | ||||||
Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam | Tamil Nadu | 1[42] | ||||||
Rashtriya Loktantrik Party | Rajasthan | 1[44] |
Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati announced that her party will contest the election on its own in most states and ally with other non-BJP, non-Congress parties in Telangana and Haryana.[45]
On 11 May 2023, Biju Janata Dal leader and Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik said that his party will go alone for the Lok Sabha polls.[46]
The issue of unemployment has been a major problem for the Indian economy, especially affecting the youth.[51][52] Unemployment in India has been at a 45-year old high.[53] According to a 2022 World Bank report, India's youth unemployment rate stood at 23.2%,[54] whereas the national unemployment hovered around 7%.[51] In 2023, 42.3% of graduates were unemployed, showing the lack of job growth needed to accommodate the increasing workforce.[55]
As such, unemployment has taken a centre stage in the election campaigns, with the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance banking on rising unemployment and inflation to criticise the BJP government's handling of the Indian economy.[56] As a part of its separate youth manifesto, the Congress-led INDIA bloc promised to fill in the 3 million vacancies in government jobs and bring in the "Right to Apprenticeship", in which any diploma and degree holder up to the age of 25 can demand employment for one year and they will get a one-year salary of ₹100,000 for the term of the job.[57]
The BJP prepared a pamphlet for the Ram Mandir Inauguration Programmes to connect with families across the nation. After the consecration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, a new era of Hindu nationalistic sentiments have dominated the political sphere in India.[58][59] Modi kept a long-standing political pledge of the reconstruction of the Ram Mandir and was seen to have fulfilled the BJP's manifesto to the nation's Hindu population.[59] The Hindu nationalist ideology of Modi and the BJP has also garnered substantial support from Hindu community members.[60][61] At the same time, Bollywood productions have been released with themes supporting the Modi government's policies and Hindu nationalist ideologies.[62] In response to such concerns, BJP spokesperson Mmhonlumo Kikon acknowledged the existence of a "level of threat perception", but said that the party was trying to change that.[63]
A major controversy was stirred when the opposition Congress Party and its leaders declined an invitation to the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony, saying that the event was politicised into a 'BJP-RSS event'.[64] Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the invitation was an opportunity for the Congress to 'reduce its sin', and that history would continue to judge it as 'anti-Hindu'.[65] The four Shankaracharyas also declined attending the event, stating that the ceremony was politicised as a campaign event at the half-built temple.[66][67]
On 15 February 2024, the Supreme Court of India ruled that the Electoral Bond system of campaign financing that was introduced by the Modi government in 2017 which allowed individuals and companies to donate money to political parties anonymously and without limits was unconstitutional, saying that the process allowed donors to assert "influence over policymaking".[68] On 18 March, the court ordered the State Bank of India (SBI) to provide all records regarding the electoral bonds to the Election Commission of India by 21 March in order to match electoral donors with their recipients and rejected a plea by the Confederation of Indian Industry, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India from divulging the identities of donors. Initial reports suggest that among the leading donors to political parties were some of India's largest firms such as Vedanta Limited, Bharti Airtel, RPSG Group and Essel Mining. It also found that the BJP was the recipient of nearly half of all recorded donations,[69] In total, the top five political parties in terms of electoral bonds received are the BJP, which received Rs 6,060.5 crore, the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), which received Rs 1,609.5 crore, the Congress Party, with Rs 1,421.8 crore, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), which received Rs 1,214.7 crore, and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which received Rs 775.5 crore.[70][71][72] The biggest buyer of electoral bonds was found to be Santiago Martin, the Tamil Nadu-based head of the lottery firm Future Gaming and Hotel Services Private Limited, who bought bonds worth 13.68 billion rupees ($163 million) between 2020 and 2024 and made donations to the TMC, the BJP, and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which rules Tamil Nadu. The biggest single donor to any political party was Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MEIL), a construction firm based in Hyderabad that bought electoral bonds worth over 12 billion rupees ($144 million) between 2019 and 2024 and made donations to the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), the BJP, and the Congress Party, who alternated in ruling Telangana during that time.[73]
Some politicians from the opposition have termed Electoral Bonds a "scam" and an "extortion racket".[74][75][76] In response to allegations regarding the electoral bonds, BJP spokesperson Syed Zafar Islam denied that the party had done any wrongdoing and said that its electoral bonds were gained "on merit".[73] However, Indian political observers have reached the conclusion that either Indian businessmen have been regularly bribing their way out of trouble, or that the BJP-controlled government has been using government agencies to extort them. From the data released by the SBI, it was found that companies gave donations around the time they received major government contracts. Close to half of the top 30 corporate donors were facing investigations by government agencies around the time they purchased electoral bonds.[77][78][79]
On 16 February 2024, the Congress Party alleged that the Income Tax Department (IT) ordered the freezing of bank accounts by the Congress Party containing 2.1 billion rupees ($25.3 million) as part of an ongoing legal dispute.[80] The Congress Party's treasurer Ajay Maken later added that tax authorities imposed a 2.1-billion rupee ($25 million) lien on 13 February, "virtually sealed" its bank accounts and confiscated 1.1 billion rupees ($14 million). The party's leader Rahul Gandhi complained that the restrictions had rendered the party unable to campaign properly, adding that "Our entire financial identity has been erased." Gandhi also accused Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of conducting a "criminal action" against the party, which the BJP denied. His mother and former Congress leader Sonia Gandhi also alleged that the tax issues are "part of the systemic efforts to cripple" the party. An appeal is currently pending in the Supreme Court.[81]
According to the IT Department's official sources, it has recovered ₹135 crore from the Congress for breaking the legislation exempting political parties from paying taxes, rather than freezing the party's bank accounts as the opposition party had claimed.[82] The party received notices from the IT department again on 29 March asking it to pay ₹1,823.08 crore (US$228 million). The Congress accused the BJP of engaging in "tax terrorism" and alleged that the BJP is in serious violation of income-tax laws and that the IT department should raise a demand of ₹4,617.58 crore (US$578 million) crore from the BJP for such violations.[83]
The election period also coincided with investigations by authorities into state officials belonging to opposition parties, such as Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal, who is under investigation for alleged corruption in the allocation of liquor licences, and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who was arrested in February 2024 for allegedly facilitating an illegal land sale. The Enforcement Directorate is also investigating four chief ministers not allied with the BJP on various charges, while investigations have been closed on former opposition politicians who have since joined the BJP. Hartosh Singh Bal, a journalist for the current affairs magazine The Caravan told Agence France-Presse that the move by government agencies indicated their behavior as "handmaidens of the ruling party to cow down the political opposition".[80]
The BJP-led government has been known to use Enforcement Directorate raids to target opposition politicians critical of it, with 95% of cases registered being against opposition leaders.[84][85][86] Since 2014, 25 opposition leaders facing corruption charges have joined the BJP, with 23 of them having their inquiries closed or frozen after joining the ruling party.[87]
Following Kejriwal's arrest on 21 March over the liquor license scam charges, Delhi's finance minister Atishi Singh accused the BJP of orchestrating a "political conspiracy" against Kejriwal.[88] His arrest also led to clashes between party leaders, supporters and the police on 22 March.[89] Rahul Gandhi, reacting to Kejriwal's arrest, said that a "scared dictator" wants to create a "dead democracy", without naming anyone.[90]
Main article: Bharatiya Janata Party campaign for the 2024 Indian general election |
The national executive meeting of the BJP held on 16 and 17 January 2023 saw the party reaffirm its faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and extend the tenure of BJP national president J. P. Nadda.[91]
Charting out the BJP's strategy for the upcoming polls, Modi in his speech to party workers said they should reach out to every section of society, including the marginalised and minority communities, "without electoral considerations".[92]
Following the 2023 Legislative Assembly elections, Modi debuted the slogan "Modi Ki Guarantee" for the 2024 polls.[93]
The bloc's first joint rally was held in Patna, Bihar on 3 March 2024. The rally saw, among others, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, former Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav, Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav, and senior Left leaders Sitaram Yechury and D. Raja. Kharge attacked Kumar for frequently changing alliances and criticised the BJP for not fulfilling its promise of jobs and neglecting the country's poor and the majority.[94]
The alliance jointly held a rally at Shivaji Park in Mumbai on 17 March, a day after the end of Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. The rally was attended by Gandhi, SS(UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray, NCP(SP) leader Sharad Pawar, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, and DMK leader and Tamil Nadu chief minister M. K. Stalin, among many others.[95] At the rally, Gandhi said that he was compelled to launch his yatra due to rising inflation and unemployment in the nation.[96]
A few days after arrest of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the alleged Delhi liquor scam on 22 March,[97] the opposition alliance held a protest rally against the same in Ramlila Maidan, Delhi on 31 March, where opposition leaders alleged the corruption case on him and his subsequent arrest to be a "fabrication with political motives" and a "witch hunt".[98][99][100] At the rally, named "Loktantra Bachao" (Save Democracy), amid current events, the opposition tried to frame the election as being "democracy vs dictatorship".[101]
Main article: Indian National Congress campaign for the 2024 Indian general election |
The Congress campaign was launched from Nagpur at a huge rally in which over 1 million people were expected to have attended in Nagpur, Maharashtra on 28 December 2023.[102] This rally also marked the 138th Congress Foundation Day and was being held to energise party cadres for the 2024 general election.[103] Party workers from all over the state were called to join the rally.[103][104]
On 14 January, the party launched its Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra,[105] a sequel to the Bharat Jodo Yatra held the previous year.[106] The yatra started in Thoubal, Manipur and ended in Mumbai on 16 March 2024.[105] It covered 6,713 kilometres (4,171 miles) across 14 states.[107]
Main article: Communist Party of India (Marxist) campaign for the 2024 Indian general election |
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) began their election campaign in Kerala after announcing 15 candidates in the state.[citation needed]
The Rashtriya Janata Dal began its campaign with its Jan Vishwas Yatra ("People's Trust Yatra") on 20 February 2024. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav launched the yatra from Muzaffarpur in Bihar. The yatra lasted until 1 March 2024 and covered 33 districts.[108][109] In Siwan on 23 February, Yadav termed the BJP "a dustbin" which takes in other parties that have become "garbage".[110][111]
Main article: Bharatiya Janata Party campaign for the 2024 Indian general election § Manifesto |
The BJP proposed a 'GYAN' formula consisting of four segments - Garib (poor), Yuva (youth), Annadata (farmers) and Nari (women) in its manifesto.[112] The Bharatiya Janata Party started a campaign to gather public recommendations and suggestions for the advancement of the State and the country, which will be incorporated into the party's manifesto for the 2024 general elections.[113][114]
Main article: Indian National Congress campaign for the 2024 Indian general election § Manifesto |
The Congress released their groups specific manifesto promises for the general election in the month of March.[120] The manifesto focuses on five major segments ofthe population and promises them:
The complete manifesto titled "Nyay Patra" (Justice Paper) was released on 5th April 2024.[133][134] Some noticeable points in the manifesto are (apart from above promises released earlier):
The prime ministerial candidate for the 2024 general election of the NDA alliance is the incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi.[135] The prime ministerial candidate of the INDIA bloc will be decided after the 2024 polls.[136]
Main article: List of National Democratic Alliance candidates in the 2024 Indian general election |
The BJP announced its first list of 195 candidates on 2 March 2024[137][138] and the second list of 72 candidates was published in 13 March,[4] while the third list of nine candidates was announced on 21 March.[5] The fourth list of 15 candidates was released on 22 March,[6] followed by the fifth list of 111 candidates on 24 March[139] and the sixth list of three candidates on 26 March.[140] The seventh list of two candidates was announced on 27 March[141] and the eighth list of eleven candidates was published on 30 March,[142] while the ninth list of one candidate was released on 31 March.[143]
Main article: List of Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance candidates for the 2024 Indian general election |
The Indian National Congress released its first list of 39 candidates on 8 March[144] and the second list of 43 candidates was released on 13 March,[145] while the third list of 56 candidates was announced on 22 March.[146] The fourth list of 46 candidates was published on 23 March[147] and the fifth list of three candidates was released on 24 March,[148] while the sixth list of five candidates was announced on 25 March.[149] The seventh list of five candidates was published on 26 March,[150] while the eighth list of 14 candidates was announced on 27 March[151] and the ninth list of five candidates was released on 29 March.[152] The tenth list of two candidates[153] was published on 1 April and the eleventh list of 17 candidates were announced on 2 April,[154] while the twelfth list of three candidates was released on 4 April.[155] The thirteenth list of six candidates was announced on 6 April.[156]
The All India Trinamool Congress announced its list of 42 candidates for the West Bengal parliamentary seats on 10 March.[157]
Main article: List of Left Front candidates in the 2024 Indian general election |
In Left Front, the CPI(M) announced its list first list of 44 candidates contesting from 13 different states on 28 March.[158]
Main article: Opinion polling for the 2024 Indian general election |
According to the Times Now-ETG Research survey released on 3 February 2024, 64% of participants preferred the incumbent Narendra Modi (BJP) as the next Prime Minister of India. Rahul Gandhi (INC) was the second-most preferred at 17%.[159]
This section is transcluded from Opinion polling for the 2024 Indian general election#Seats and vote share projections. (edit | history) |
Polling agency | Date published | Sample size | Margin of error | Lead | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NDA | INDIA | Others | |||||
News 18 | March 2024[160] | 118,616 | ±4% | 48 | 32 | 20 | 16 |
ABP News-CVoter | March 2024 | 41,762[161] | ±5% | 46 | 39 | 15 | 7 |
Times Now-ETG | March 2024[162] | 323,357[163] | ±3% | 52 | 42 | 6 | 10 |
Zee News-Matrize | February 2024[164] | 167,843 | ±2% | 43.6 | 27.7 | 24.9 | 15.9 |
India Today-CVoter | February 2024[165] | 149,092[166] | ±3–5% | 45 | 38 | 17 | 8 |
Times Now-ETG | February 2024[167] | 156,843[168] | ±2% | 41.8 | 28.6 | 29.6 | 13.2 |
ABP-CVoter | December 2023[169] | 200,000 | ±3–5% | 42 | 38 | 20 | 4 |
Times Now-ETG | December 2023[170][171] | 147,231[172] | ±3% | 44 | 39 | 17 | 5 |
India TV-CNX | October 2023[173][174] | 54,250 | ±3% | 43.4 | 39.1 | 17.5 | 4.3 |
Times Now-ETG | October 2023[175] | 135,100[176] | ±3% | 42.6 | 40.2 | 17.2 | 2.4 |
August 2023[177][178] | 110,662[179] | ±3% | 42.6 | 40.2 | 17.2 | 2.4 | |
India Today-CVoter | August 2023[180] | 160,438 | ±3–5% | 43 | 41 | 16 | 2 |
INDIA Formed | |||||||
India Today-CVoter | January 2023[181] | 140,917 | ±3–5% | 43 | 30 | 27 | 13 |
2019 election results | 45.3% | 27.5% | 27.2% | NDA |
Polling agency | Date published | Sample size | Margin of error | Lead | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NDA | INDIA | Others | |||||
Times Now-ETG | April 2024[182] | 271,292[183] | ±3% | 384 | 118 | 41 | NDA |
India TV-CNX | April 2024[184] | 179,190 | ±3% | 399 | 113 | 31 | NDA |
News18 | March 2024[185] | 118,616[186] | ±4% | 411 | 105 | 27 | NDA |
ABP News-CVoter | March 2024 | 41,762 | ±5% | 366 | 156 | 21 | NDA |
India TV-CNX | March 2024[187] | 162,900[188] | ±3% | 378 | 98 | 67 | NDA |
Times Now-ETG | March 2024[189] | 323,357 | ±3% | 358–398 | 110–130 | 40–50 | NDA |
Zee News-Matrize | February 2024[164] | 167,843 | ±2% | 377 | 93 | 73 | NDA |
India Today-CVoter | February 2024[190] | 149,092[191] | ±3–5% | 335 | 166 | 42 | NDA |
Times Now-ETG | February 2024[192] | 156,843 | ±2% | 366 | 104 | 73 | NDA |
ABP-CVoter | December 2023[169] | 200,000 | ±3–5% | 295–335 | 165–205 | 35–65 | NDA |
Times Now-ETG | December 2023[170][171] | 147,231 | ±3% | 319–339 | 148–168 | 52–61 | NDA |
India TV-CNX | October 2023[173][174] | 54,250 | ±3% | 315 | 172 | 56 | NDA |
Times Now-ETG | October 2023[175] | 135,100 | ±3% | 297–317 | 165–185 | 57–65 | NDA |
August 2023[193][178] | 110,662 | ±3% | 296–326 | 160–190 | 56–64 | NDA | |
India Today-CVoter | August 2023[180] | 160,438 | ±3–5% | 306 | 193 | 54 | NDA |
INDIA formed | |||||||
India Today-CVoter[181] | January 2023 | 140,917 | ±3–5% | 298 | 153 | 92 | NDA |
2019 election results | 354 | 93 | 96 | NDA |
Alliance/Party | Popular vote | Seats | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Votes | % | ±pp | Contested | Won | +/− | ||||
NDA | BJP | 446 | |||||||
TDP | 17 | ||||||||
JD(U) | 16 | ||||||||
SS | 13 | ||||||||
PMK | 10 | ||||||||
LJP(RV) | 5 | ||||||||
NCP | 5 | ||||||||
BDJS | 4 | ||||||||
JD(S) | 3 | ||||||||
TMC(M) | 3 | ||||||||
AD(S) | 2 | ||||||||
AGP | 2 | ||||||||
AMMK | 2 | ||||||||
JSP | 2 | ||||||||
NPP | 2 | ||||||||
RLD | 2 | ||||||||
AJSU | 1 | ||||||||
HAM | 1 | ||||||||
NDPP | 1 | ||||||||
NISHAD | 1 | ||||||||
NPF | 1 | ||||||||
RLM | 1 | ||||||||
SBSP | 1 | ||||||||
UPPL | 1 | ||||||||
Independent | 1 | ||||||||
Total | 543 | ||||||||
INDIA | INC | ||||||||
CPI(M) | |||||||||
SP | 63 | ||||||||
AITC | 48 | ||||||||
RJD | 27 | ||||||||
AAP | 22 | ||||||||
DMK | 21 | ||||||||
SS(UBT) | 21 | ||||||||
CPI | |||||||||
NCP(SP) | 11 | ||||||||
JMM | 6 | ||||||||
AIFB | 5 | ||||||||
CPI(ML)L | 4 | ||||||||
IUML | 3 | ||||||||
JKNC | 3 | ||||||||
JKPDP | 3 | ||||||||
RSP | 3 | ||||||||
VCK | 2 | ||||||||
AJP | 1 | ||||||||
BAP | 1 | ||||||||
KC | 1 | ||||||||
KC(M) | 1 | ||||||||
KMDK | 1 | ||||||||
MDMK | 1 | ||||||||
RLP | 1 | ||||||||
Total | 543 | ||||||||
AIADMK+ | AIADMK | 34 | |||||||
DMDK | 5 | ||||||||
PT | 1 | ||||||||
Total | 40 | ||||||||
BSP | |||||||||
YSRCP | 25 | ||||||||
BJD | 21 | ||||||||
BRS | 17 | ||||||||
SAD | 13 | ||||||||
SAD(A) | 13 | ||||||||
INLD | 10 | ||||||||
JJP | 10 | ||||||||
AIMIM | |||||||||
GGP | |||||||||
AIUDF | 3 | ||||||||
RGP | 2 | ||||||||
SDF | 1 | ||||||||
ZPM | 1 | ||||||||
Other parties[194] | |||||||||
Independents | |||||||||
NOTA | |||||||||
Total | 100% | - | - | - | - | ||||
Vote statistics | |||||||||
Valid votes | |||||||||
Invalid votes | |||||||||
Votes cast/turnout | |||||||||
Abstentions | |||||||||
Registered voters |