2024 Indian general election

Contemporary politics and previous elections

India has a multi-party system with two major parties, namely the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Indian National Congress, that dominate 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.^[16] 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.^[17]

Electoral system

Article 83 of the Constitution of India requires elections to the Lok Sabha to be held once every five years.^[18] All 543 elected MPs are elected from single-member constituencies using first-past-the-post voting.^[19] The 104th amendment to the constitution abolished the two seats that were reserved for the Anglo-Indian community.^[20]

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.^[21] Some people convicted of electoral or other offenses are barred from voting.^[22] Indians holding foreign citizenship are also barred from voting. 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.^[23]

For the 2024 election, 968 million people are eligible to vote, an increase of about 150 million people from the 2019 election.^[24] In Arunachal Pradesh, a polling station will be set up for the only registered voter in the village of Malogam, due to electoral laws that stipulate voting booths to be placed within two kilometres (1.2 mi) from all settlements.^[25][26][27] A polling station was also set up inside the Gir Forest in Gujarat to cater for a singular voter, a priest at a Hindu temple.^[28] Polling stations will also be set up inside a wildlife sanctuary in Kerala and in a shipping container in Gujarat,^[29] as well as in 320 relief camps hosting some 59,000 people displaced during interethnic violence in Manipur.^[30]

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.^[31] Nearly 5.5 million electronic voting machines were to be utilized for more than one million polling stations, while 15 million election workers and security personnel were to be tasked with managing the conduct of the election.^[27]

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 due to concerns over high temperatures. In Telangana, voting in some precincts was extended by a later hour to allow voters to come at a more convenient time.^[32]

Planning

Key processes during a Lok Sabha election involve 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 ended, and measures are implemented to maintain order and prevent disruptions. On polling day, strict rules are enforced to prevent undue influence, ensuring a smooth and secure election process. Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are sealed and stored with tight security measures, while Booth Level Officers assist voters throughout the process.^[33]

The election schedule for the 18th Lok Sabha was announced by the Election Commission of India on 16 March 2024,^[34][35] and with it the Model Code of Conduct came into effect.^[36] The tenure of the 17th Lok Sabha is scheduled to end on 16 June 2024.^[37]

Date summary

Seat summary

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), CPI(M) (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 two alliances.

National Democratic Alliance (NDA)

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.

Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA)

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.^[43][44]

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 26 political parties came together to form the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).

INDIA parties seat sharing

Source:^{[45][46][47][48]}

INDIA parties under regional coalition/ Outside the alliance

Other notable parties and alliances

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.^[50]

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 in Odisha.^[51]

The prime ministerial candidate for the 2024 general election of the NDA alliance is the incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi.^[52][53] The prime ministerial candidate of the INDIA bloc will be decided after the 2024 polls.^[54][55]

National Democratic Alliance

Bharatiya Janata Party

The BJP announced its first list of 195 candidates on 2 March 2024^[56][57] and the second list of 72 candidates was published in 13 March,^[58] while the third list of nine candidates was announced on 21 March.^[59] The fourth list of 15 candidates was released on 22 March,^[60] followed by the declaration of fifth list of 111 candidates on 24 March^[61] and the sixth list of three candidates on 26 March.^[62] The seventh list of two candidates was announced on 27 March^[63] and the eighth list of eleven candidates was published on 30 March,^[64] while the ninth list of just one candidate was released on 31 March.^[65] The tenth list, comprising nine candidates, was released on 10 April^[66] and the eleventh list, comprising one candidate, was released on 11 April,^[67] followed by the announcement of twelfth list of seven candidates on 16 April.^[68] The thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth lists, each comprising of one candidate, were published on 18 April,^[69] 23 April^[70] and 27 April^[71] respectively. The sixteenth list consisting of one candidate of Birbhum constituency was released on 1 May,^[72] after previous candidate's nomination papers were rejected by the ECI officials^[73] and the seventeenth list of two candidates was published on 2 May,^[74] while the eighteenth list of one candidate was declared on 3 May.^[75] The nineteenth list of three candidates was declared on 8 May,^[76] while the twentieth list of one candidate was released on 10 May.^[77]

For the first time since 1996, the BJP did not field candidates in the Kashmir division, with analysts and opposition politicians attributing it to popular backlash over the BJP government's revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's autonomy enshrined under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution in 2019.^[78]

Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance

Indian National Congress

The Indian National Congress released its first list of 39 candidates on 8 March 2024^[79] and the second list of 43 candidates was published on 13 March,^[80] while the third list of 56 candidates was announced on 22 March.^[81] The fourth list of 46 candidates was published on 23 March and the fifth list of three candidates was released on 24 March,^[82] while the sixth list of five candidates was announced on 25 March.^[83] The seventh list of five candidates was published on 26 March,^[84] while the eighth list of 14 candidates was announced on 27 March^[85] and the ninth list of five candidates was released on 29 March.^[86] The tenth list of two candidates was published on 1 April^[87] and the eleventh list of 17 candidates was announced on 2 April,^[88] while the twelfth list of three candidates was released on 4 April.^[89] The thirteenth list of six candidates was announced on 6 April,^[90] while the fourteenth list of six more candidates was declared on 9 April,^[91] followed by the fifteenth list of two candidates on 10 April.^[92] The sixteenth list of 16 candidates was announced on 13 April,^[93] followed by the declaration of seventeenth list of ten candidates on 14 April,^[94] while the eighteenth list of three candidates was published on 16 April.^[95] The nineteenth list of four candidates was announced on 20 April,^[96] while the twentieth list of 11 candidates was published on 21 April^[97] and the twenty-first list of seven candidates was declared on 23 April.^[98] The twenty-second list of three candidates was published on 24 April^[99] and the twenty-third list of eight candidates was announced on 25 April,^[100] while the twenty-fourth list of two candidates was declared on 28 April.^[101] The twenty-fifth list of four candidates was published on 30 April^[102] and the twenty-sixth list of two candidates was announced on 3 May,^[103] while the twenty-seventh list of one candidate, the replacement candidate for Puri constituency was announced on 5 May,^[104] after the previous candidate withdrew her candidature citing a lack of funding from the party for her election campaign.^[105] The twenty-eighth list of one candidate was announced on 7 May.^[106]

Other parties

The All India Trinamool Congress announced its list of 42 candidates for the West Bengal parliamentary seats on 10 March.^[107]

In the Left Front, the CPI(M) announced its list first list of 44 candidates contesting from 13 different states on 28 March.^[108]

Welfare

One of Prime Minister Modi's key election promises and a central focus of the BJP's manifestos has been delivering on government schemes and ensuring last-mile delivery, a significant political strategy to bolster the BJP's electoral support.^[109] Their approach primarily emphasizes direct cash transfers and the provision of essential private items such as toilets, cooking gas, houses, and bank accounts. Since coming to power in 2014, Modi's government has implemented over 300 welfare schemes, spending more than 34 trillion rupees ($400bn) to benefit over 900 million people. Key initiatives include the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (housing scheme), one of the world's largest cash transfer program for farmers, and schemes providing free cooking gas, electricity, and piped water. These programs are promoted as personal guarantees from Modi, aiming to directly impact the lives of low-income households. The BJP's welfare policies have been credited with attracting voter support, particularly among women, due to increased access to essential services.^[110]

Sectarianism

The BJP accuses the Congress party and its allies of historically focusing on policies aimed at addressing the concerns of the Muslim community, calling it "Muslim appeasement".^{[111][112][113]} The BJP alleges that in the INDIA alliance consistently advocated for reservations for Muslims within the Other Backward Classes quota and have implemented such policies in states like Karnataka and West Bengal.^[114] The Calcutta High Court ruled that these reservation policies, which were based solely on religion, were unconstitutional.^[115] Narendra Modi has accused the opposition parties of allocating reservations to Muslims from the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and Other Backward Classes quotas creating a major controversy.^[116]

In June 2023, Modi made a strong push for the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). The UCC is part of the Directive Principles of State Policy, which, while fundamental to the country's governance, are not enforceable or justiciable in a court of law.^[117] Opposition parties, particularly the Congress, opposed this move, arguing that it infringes upon "personal law" or religious laws governed by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) for Muslims living in India.^[118]

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, characterised by the Hindutva movement, have dominated the political sphere in India.^{[119][120][121]} 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.^[121] The Hindu nationalist ideology of Modi and the BJP has also garnered substantial support from Hindu community members.^[122][123] A major controversy was stirred when the 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'.^[124]

Unemployment

The issue of unemployment has been a major problem for the Indian economy, especially affecting the youth.^[125][126] Unemployment in India has been at a 45-year high.^[127] According to a 2022 World Bank report, India's youth unemployment rate stood at 23.2%,^[128] whereas the national unemployment hovered around 7%.^[125] In 2023, 42.3% of graduates were unemployed, showing the lack of job growth needed to accommodate the increasing workforce.^[129]

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 National Democratic Alliance government's handling of the Indian economy.^[130] As a part of its separate youth manifesto, the Congress-led INDIA bloc promised to fill in the three 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.^[131] Experts have criticized this scheme, arguing that it forces private companies to hire employees or interns based on factors other than merit and skill. Additionally, there is no assurance that individuals participating in this program will possess the necessary skills for the job, despite being guaranteed compensation for one year.^[132]

To counter the opposition's criticism on unemployment and inflation, the BJP has sought to highlight India's growing prominence on the world stage and highlighted the government's new social security programmes for the poor, such as providing free food grains and health insurance to people in need.^[133][134] Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted his business-friendly policies and insisted that initiatives like Startup India and infrastructure projects have provided employment in the informal economy, which is not accounted for in the official unemployment statistics. He cited different numbers from the Indian National Congress to insist that unemployment had actually reduced in the past few years.^[135]

Electoral bonds

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".^[136] 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.^[137]

In total, the top five political parties in terms of electoral bonds received are the BJP, which received ₹6,060.5 crore (US$726 million) , the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), which received ₹1,609.5 crore (US$193 million) , the Congress Party, with ₹1,421.8 crore (US$170 million) , the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), which received Rs ₹1,214.7 crore (US$146 million) , and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which received Rs ₹775.5 crore (US$93 million).^{[138][139][140]} 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.^[141]

Some politicians from the opposition have termed Electoral Bonds a "scam" and an "extortion racket".^{[142][143][144]} 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".^[141] Some political observers concluded 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.^{[145][146][147]}

Bharatiya Janata Party

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.^[148]

Charting out the BJP's strategy for the upcoming polls, Modi said in a speech to party workers that they should reach out to every section of society, including the marginalised and minority communities, "without electoral considerations".^[149]

Following the 2023 Legislative Assembly elections, Modi debuted the slogan "Modi Ki Guarantee" for the 2024 polls.^[150]

Abki Baar 400 Paar (This Time Surpassing 400) is a political slogan used by the BJP and Narendra Modi for the election.^[151][152] The slogan refers to the ambition of winning more than 400 out of 543 seats in the Lok Sabha.^[153]

The slogan has been used by the BJP in previous elections, including the 2019 general election with some changes. It has become a rallying cry for the party's supporters and a symbol of its political ambitions.^[154] Election analysts have said that the path for the BJP to achieve this goal will likely be by winning more seats in the south of India than in previous elections.^[155]

The party has held political rallies in multiple states with national leadership including Modi, BJP President J. P. Nadda and Amit Shah campaigning actively.^{[156][157][158]}

During a campaign rally, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath described the election as a contest between “devotees of Ram” and “anti-Ram forces” and urged voters to select the former. Modi also accused the opposition of plotting to raze the Ram Mandir temple once they were in power.^[159]

During a campaign rally in Rajasthan on 21 April, Narendra Modi accused the Congress party of prioritizing Muslim access to national wealth and planning to distribute resources among “those who have more children” and "infiltrators" once it was in power, which reflected stereotypes about Muslims reproducing in greater numbers and conspiracy theories pushed by the BJP that Muslims were planning to outnumber Hindus. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge called Modi's remarks a panic-filled "hate speech" and a ploy to divert attention from the opposition outperforming the BJP during the first phase of the election, while officials in Rajasthan received complaints from the Azad Adhikar Sena and a non-profit organisation demanding Modi's arrest and for his campaign to be suspended.^[160][161] Following Modi's speech, the BJP posted an animated video on its official Instagram account reiterating Modi's claims and showing Rahul Gandhi holding a copy of the Congress Party's election manifesto that morphs into the symbol of the All-India Muslim League. After being flagged by multiple users, the video was taken down less than 24 hours after its publication.^[162] A similar video posted on X towards voters in Karnataka was also ordered taken down by the Electoral Commission and led to police opening cases against senior BJP leaders.^[163]

A complaint letter by the Samvidhan Bacchao Nagrik Abhiyan (Save the Constitution Citizens' Campaign) organisation to the Election Commission of India, signed by over 17,400 people, alleged that Modi had violated the Model Code of Conduct and the Representation of the People Act, 1951 by making a speech "aiming at not only appealing to 'communal feelings' but also instigating and aggravating hatred in the Hindus against Muslims".^[164][165]

Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance

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.^[166]

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.^[167] At the rally, Gandhi said that he was compelled to launch his yatra due to rising inflation and unemployment in the nation.^[168]

A few days after arrest of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the alleged Delhi liquor scam on 22 March,^[169] 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".^{[170][171][172]} At the rally, named "Loktantra Bachao" (Save Democracy), amid current events, the opposition tried to frame the election as being "democracy vs dictatorship".^[173]

Indian National Congress

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.^[174] This rally also marked the 138th Congress Foundation Day and was being held to energise party cadres for the 2024 general election.^[175] Party workers from all over the state were called to join the rally.^[175][176]

On 14 January, the party launched its Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra,^[177] a sequel to the Bharat Jodo Yatra held the previous year.^[178] The yatra started in Thoubal, Manipur and ended in Mumbai on 16 March 2024.^[177] It covered 6,713 kilometres (4,171 miles) across 14 states.^[179]

Rahul Gandhi has warned that the whole of India will be on fire if the BJP wins the 2024 parliamentary elections and changes the Constitution, during an address at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan.^{[180][181][182][183]}

Crowdfunding

The Congress started a crowdfunding campaign known as Donate for Desh (Donate for the Country) ahead of the general elections. It formally launched the campaign's digital version on 18 December 2023 at a dedicated website. It claimed to be inspired from Mahatma Gandhi's Tilak Swaraj Fund (1920–21). The physical version of the campaign, which be done via door-to-door collection drives, was launched on 28 December.^[184][185]

The campaign received ₹1.45 crore (US$170,000) on its first day, with the top five states in amount of donations being Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Karnataka.^[186]

By the end of 2023, the campaign received around ₹9 crore (US$1.1 million), with 30% of the funds being collected from Telangana and Maharashtra alone.^[187]

The campaign had collected about ₹20 crore (US$2.4 million) according to the party when on 28 January, it rebranded its crowdfunding campaign to Donate for Nyay (Donate for Justice), in line with Rahul Gandhi's ongoing Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.^[188] The ensuing crowdfunding campaign collected 4 crores in 4 days.^[189]

Funding issues

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.^[190] 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.^[191]

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.^[192] The party received notices from the IT department again on 29 March asking it to pay ₹1,823.08 crore (US$218 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$553 million) crore from the BJP for such violations.^[193]

Communist Party of India (Marxist)

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) began their election campaign in Kerala after announcing 15 candidates in the state.^[194]

Rashtriya Janata Dal

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.^[195][196] In Siwan on 23 February, Yadav termed the BJP "a dustbin" which takes in other parties that have become "garbage".^[197][198]

Aam Aadmi Party

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".^[190]

Following Kejriwal's arrest on 21 March over the liquor license scam charges, Delhi's finance minister Atishi Marlena Singh accused the BJP of orchestrating a "political conspiracy" against Kejriwal.^[199] His arrest also led to clashes between party leaders, supporters and the police on 22 March.^[200] Rahul Gandhi, reacting to Kejriwal's arrest, said that a "scared dictator" wants to create a "dead democracy", without naming anyone.^[201] After he was released on bail and allowed to vote, Kejriwal urged citizens to vote "vote against dictatorship".^[202] He then returned to prison as part of his bail conditions.^[203]

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.^{[204][205][206]} 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.^[207] This has led the Congress Party to compare the trend to a "washing machine" in one of its campaign videos.^[162]

Shiv Sena

After an intraparty dispute that led to the splitting of the Shiv Sena party based in Maharashtra, the Supreme Court of India barred the Shiv Sena (UBT) faction which joined the I.N.D.I.A. alliance from using the party's historic bow-and-arrow symbol as its electoral symbol in balloting and awarded it instead to the Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena wing which joined the NDA. This led the UBT faction to adopt a torch as its electoral symbol.^[208]

Party manifestos

Bharatiya Janata Party

The BJP proposed a 'GYAN' formula consisting of four segments - Garib (poor), Yuva (youth), Annadata (farmers) and Nari (women) in its manifesto.^[209] 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 titled 'Modi ki guarantee' for the 2024 general elections.^{[210][211][212][213][214][215][216]}

• Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam: In order to assure women's representation in the legislatures of the states and the national leadership, the BJP pledged to systematically implement the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.
• Lakhpati Didi: 30,000,000 rural women are being empowered to become "Lakhpati Didis".
• Free ration: Under the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, the BJP announced that it would give 800,000,000 citizens free rations for the next five years.
• Increasing MSP: on crops on a periodic basis was pledged in the manifesto. 6,000 rupees in annual financial support under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana.
• Free electricity: The PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana's free power for low-income homes was another pledge in the manifesto.
• 3 Crore house: In the PM Housing Scheme, the BJP manifesto pledges to build 30,000,000 houses, people with disabilities will now be given priority, and care will be taken to make sure they are housed in accordance with their unique requirements.
• For youngsters: BJP pledge to enact laws to stop the leak of competitive test question papers. Increase the startup ecosystem's reach to encourage youth entrepreneurship. Expanding job prospects in the manufacturing sector. Creating jobs through the development of infrastructure. Creating jobs through growing the tourism industry.
• For truck drivers: Construction of modern buildings with facilities which allows truck drivers to rest, park, and have access to clean drinking water and food on all national highways.
• One Nation, One Election: In its manifesto, or Sankalp Patra, the BJP includes "One Nation, One Election," for the general elections. This implies that simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and all the state assemblies may take place in 2029.^[217]
• Uniform Civil Code: The manifesto includes the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).^[218]
• Free Ayushman for all senior citizens: Under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, all senior citizens would be eligible for free, high-quality healthcare up to Rs 5 Lakhs.
• US$5 trillion economy: The BJP pledges to increase India's GDP to US$5 trillion by 2025 and $10 trillion by 2032. The Ministry of Finance has predicted that India's economy will rank third overall in the world.^[219][220] Earlier in 2018 and then again in 2019, Modi had stated the goal of the country reaching a GDP of US$5 trillion by 2022 and 2024 respectively, which went unrealized.^[221][222]
• United Nations Security Council: committed to securing India's UN Security Council permanent membership.
• Crack down on terrorism: Initiatives to create partnership to eliminate global terror and crack down on terror funding.
• Left wing extremism: Fighting Left-Wing Extremism by promoting growth and utilizing a variety of approaches.
• Third-largest economic power: India will rank as the country with the third-largest GDP. India's rank rose from the 11th to the 5th largest GDP in the last ten years.
• Man on Moon and Bharatiya Antariksha Station: to establish a permanent Bharatiya Antariksha Station and send a man to the moon.

Indian National Congress

The Congress released their group-specific manifesto promises for the general election in the month of March.^[223] The manifesto focuses on five major segments of the population and promises them:

• Youth Manifesto: formal employment for a year to under 25 graduate students, filling of 3,000,000 government job vacancies, transparency in government job recruitment, ₹5,000 crore (US$605,000) fund for startups, standardisation of the government recruitment exam process, and social security for gig workers.^{[131][224][225]}
• Women Manifesto: ₹100,000 in financial assistance to women from poor families, 50% of new government job recruitments to women, double central government's contribution to the salary of anganwadi, ASHA, and midday meal workers, legal assistance in every panchayat, and at least one hostel for working women in district headquarters.^[226][227]
• Farmers Manifesto: legal guarantee on MSP for farmers, waiving off of farmers' loans, an import-export policy favourable to them, removal of GST from agricultural commodities, and payments directly into farmers' bank accounts within 30 days in case of crop loss.^[228]
• Labourers Manifesto: Universal healthcare coverage for workers, increasing national minimum wage to ₹400 (US$4.8) per day from the current ₹172 (US$2.1) per day, an urban employment guarantee law similar to MGNREGA in the rural areas, life and accident insurance for informal sector workers.^[229][230]
• Caste census: The Congress party declared that, if it wins the election, it will conduct a comprehensive census called to survey the population, socio-economic conditions, and representation in governance institutions. It also promised to bring in legislation to eliminate the 50% cap on reservations for SC, ST, and backward classes and to protect tribal forest rights.^[231] Rahul Gandhi's call for "jitni abadi, utna haq" (distribution of public resources proportionate to the population) and the combined demands of the opposition parties (SP, RJD, and Congress) for a caste census.^[232]

The complete manifesto titled Nyay Patra (Hindi: न्याय पत्र, lit. 'Justice Paper') was released on 5 April 2024.^[233][234] Some noticeable points in the manifesto include (apart from above promises released earlier) the:

• Introduction of a law to recognize civil unions between couples belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community.
• Implementation of the Rajasthan Model of cashless insurance up to 2,500,000 for universal healthcare.
• Prohibitions on dumping of effluents into water bodies across India.
• Increasing of forest cover as India has lost the second - highest forest cover after Brazil between 2015 and 2020.
• Establishment of community sports centers at every block and municipality level as well as multi - sport center at every district level.
• Establishment of government medical colleges - cum - hospitals in all districts of India.
• Abolition of the Agnipath Scheme and a return to the normal recruitment processes followed by the Army, Navy and Air Force.
• Waiving of student education loans as a one - time measure outstanding as of 15 March 2024.
• Provision of one day in a week to discuss the agenda suggested by the opposition benches in each House of Parliament.
• Non - intervention with personal choices of food and dress, to love and marry, and to travel and reside in any part of India. All laws and rules that interfere unreasonably with personal freedoms will be repealed.
• Decriminalisation of the offence of defamation and provide, by law, a speedy remedy by way of civil damages.
• Rejection of the 'One Nation One Election' idea.
• Establishment of a National Judicial Commission (NJC) responsible for the selection and appointment of judges of the High Courts and the Supreme Court.
• Amending of the Constitution to create two divisions in the Supreme Court: a Constitutional Court and a Court of Appeal. The Constitutional Court consisting of the seven most senior judges will hear and decide cases involving the interpretation of the Constitution and other cases of legal significance or national importance. The Court of Appeal will be the final court of appeal that will, sitting in Benches of three judges each, hear appeals from the High Court and National Tribunals.
• Elimination of the “Angel tax” and all other exploitative tax schemes that inhibit investment in new micro, small companies and innovative start-ups.

Opinion polls

Exit polls

The Election Commission of India banned the publication of all exit polls starting 48 hours before Phase 1 of the election until the end of Phase 7. This was intended to prevent exit polls from earlier phases affecting voter decisions in later phases. The ban ended after the close of Phase 7 voting at 18:30 IST on 1 June 2024.^[272]

On 14 April 2024, the BJP invited foreign diplomats posted in the country as well as 25 overseas political parties including the Conservative and the Labour parties of the United Kingdom, the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) and the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) of Germany and the Awami League of Bangladesh to observe the party's electoral campaign.^[278][279]

This initiative is part of the "Know BJP" campaign, aimed at external outreach and familiarisation with the election process. As part of this program, BJP president J. P. Nadda met with envoys from 13 countries.^[280][281]

• The Phase 1 voting was conducted on 19 April 2024.^[282][283] Re-polling in 11 polling stations of Inner Manipur was held on 22 April due to violence.^[284][285] Re-polling was conducted for eight polling stations in Arunachal Pradesh on 24 April due to reports of violence and EVM damage.^[286][287]
• The Phase 2 voting was conducted on 26 April 2024.^[288][289] Re-polling was conducted on 29 April for a polling station in Chamarajanagar due to violence and EVM damage^[290][291] and for six polling stations in Outer Manipur on 30 April due to violence, EVM damage and forced voting allegedly carried out by unidentified armed individuals.^[292][293] Re-polling was also conducted for a polling station in Ajmer on 2 May 2024 due to misplaced voters' register.^[294][295]
• The Phase 3 voting was conducted on 7 May 2024. The voter turnout for the third phase of Lok Sabha elections reached 65.68%. In this phase, 17.24 crore (172,400,000) citizens, comprising 8.85 crore (88,500,000) men and 8.39 crore (83,900,000) women, were eligible to cast their votes.^[296]
• The Phase 4 voting was conducted on 13 May 2024, where 96 constituencies voted.^[297]
• The Phase 5 voting was conducted on 20 May 2024, where 49 constituencies voted.^[159]
• The Phase 6 voting was conducted on 25 May 2024, where 58 constituencies voted.^[298]
• The Phase 7 voting was conducted on 1 June 2024, where 57 constituencies voted.^[299] Repolling at one booth each in the Barasat and Mathurapur constituencies of West Bengal were held on 3 June due to violence.^[300]

Incidents

During Phase 1 of the election, violence broke out outside a polling station in Thamanpokpi in Manipur.^[301][302] Clashes between BJP and TMC party workers were reported in the Cooch Behar, Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri constituencies of West Bengal,^[303][304] and one Central Reserve Police Force (CPRF) personnel was found dead in a polling booth in Cooch Behar.^[305][306] In Chhattisgarh, one CRPF personnel was killed during polling.^[307][308] Clashes between VCK and BJP cadres were reported in Chidambaram constituency in Tamil Nadu, where two VCK cadres and one BJP cadre were injured.^[309][310]

During Phase 2 of voting, eight voters in Kerala died of heat stroke while voting.^[311][312] In Manipur, two CPRF personnel were killed and two more were seriously injured in a militant attack in Bishnupur district,^[313][314] a man was killed in a gunfight between two unidentified groups in the Kangpokpi and Imphal East districts,^[315][316] and incidents of EVM vandalism, voter intimidation and coercion were reported in two polling stations in Ukhrul.^[317][318]

A complaint letter by the Samvidhan Bacchao Nagrik Abhiyan (Save the Constitution Citizens' Campaign) organisation to the Election Commission of India, signed by over 17,400 people, alleged that Modi had violated the Model Code of Conduct and the Representation of the People Act, 1951 by making a speech "aiming at not only appealing to 'communal feelings' but also instigating and aggravating hatred in the Hindus against Muslims".^[319][320]

During Phase 6 of voting, Mehbooba Mufti, who is contesting the Anantnag–Rajouri constituency in Jammu and Kashmir for the Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party, said several of her party workers were detained by police to prevent them from voting. In West Bengal, TMC workers blocked the car of BJP candidate Agnimitra Paul while she was on her way to vote in the Medinipur constituency.^[321] Prashant Jagdev, the BJP candidate for the 2024 Odisha Legislative Assembly election in Begunia, was arrested on suspicion of vandalising an EVM.^[322]

During Phase 7 of voting, a mob looted election material from a polling booth and dumped it into a pond in Kultali, Jaynagar in West Bengal. Clashes erupted between BJP and TMC supporters in Sandeshkhali.^[323] In Uttar Pradesh, at least 33 election workers, including security and sanitation staff, died of heat stroke, along with a voter waiting in line in Ballia.^[324] State election officials subsequently stated that compensation of 1.5 million rupees ($18,000) would be given to the families of the deceased workers.^[325] At least ten election related deaths were also reported in Bihar that day.^[326] In response to the ongoing heatwave, ECI chief Rajiv Kumar said they had learned a lesson and "should have completed the election at least one month before".^[327]

Instances of EVM malfunctioning and removal of candidates belonging to the opposition were reported throughout the elections.^[328] On 18 April, the Supreme Court asked the ECI to look into reported EVM malfunctioning in Kerala.^[11] 150 EVMs were replaced in Assam after reported malfunctioning.^[329] In Varanasi, about 33 nominations challenging Narendra Modi were rejected, of which 8 applicants claimed that the process was rigged in favour of the BJP.^[12]

On 4 June, former Chattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel accused discrepancy in EVM numbers while former Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav alleged the administration of carrying out arrests of his party workers in order to stop them from counting votes.^[330]

Narendra Modi, on 21 April during an election campaign rally in Rajasthan, falsely claimed that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh once said "Muslims have the first right on the country’s resources". However, Singh's speech also mentioned backward communities, including scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, Other Backward Classes, women, children, and minorities.^[331] Modi falsely claimed that Rahul Gandhi had not named Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani throughout the elections. Gandhi had mentioned Adani and Ambani about 25 times.^[332]

On social media platform X, certain accounts circulated a manipulated video of Home Minister Amit Shah, who accused the opposition of tampering with the video, leading to the registration of an FIR and a summons being issued to Telangana's Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.^[333] A member of the Congress party and a member of the Aam Aadmi Party were arrested in connection with the incident. In April 2024 videos went viral which showed Bollywood actors Aamir Khan and Ranveer Singh campaigning for the Congress party. The two said the videos were done without their consent and were deepfakes.^[334] The BJP was also accused by the opposition of doctoring videos.^[335]

On 3 May, Arun Reddy, the head of the Congress Party's social media division, was arrested on suspicion of producing a doctored video of Amit Shah giving a campaign speech promising to end help and other special treatment for non-privileged groups.^[336] The Congress Party denied Reddy's involvement and accused the BJP of cracking down on its rivals during the election.^[337]

On 30 May, OpenAI released a report which said that the Israeli firm STOIC was involved in generating comments that focused on India, criticized the BJP and praised the Congress party through the usage of OpenAI's models. The report also noted that there was no significant audience increase due to their models. It was defined as Category 2 on the Breakout Scale.^{[338][339][340]}

On 3 June, Time noted throughout the elections, associates and supporters of the BJP circulated fake news in order to discredit its opponents and spread hatred against religious minorities.^[341]

Following the first round, the BJP won its first seat after Mukesh Dalal, its candidate for Surat constituency in Gujarat, was elected unopposed following rejection and withdrawal of other candidates.^[346][347] No voting was held in the constituency, as the ECI had certified the results two weeks prior due to the absence of rival candidates.^[348]

By alliance and party

Alliance		Party		Popular vote			Seats
				Votes	%	±pp	Contested	Won	+
	National Democratic Alliance		Bharatiya Janata Party	157,039,540			441	240	63
			Telugu Desam Party				17	16	13
			Janata Dal (United)				16	12	4
			Shiv Sena				15	7	11
			Pattali Makkal Katchi				10	0
			Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas)				5	5	5
			Nationalist Congress Party				5	1	4
			Bharath Dharma Jana Sena				4	0
			Janata Dal (Secular)				3	2	1
			Tamil Maanila Congress				3	0
			Apna Dal (Soneylal)				2	1	1
			Asom Gana Parishad				2	1	1
			Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazhagam				2	0
			Jana Sena Party				2	2	2
			National People's Party				2	0	1
			Rashtriya Lok Dal				2	2	2
			All Jharkhand Students Union				1	1
			Hindustani Awam Morcha				1	1	1
			Naga People's Front				1	0	1
			Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party				1	0	1
			Rashtriya Lok Morcha				1	0
			Rashtriya Samaj Paksha				1	0
			Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party				1	0
			United People's Party Liberal				1	1	1
			Sikkim Krantikari Morcha				1	1	1
			Independent				1	0	1
Total							540	293	60
	Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance		Indian National Congress	54,233,901			328	99	47
			Samajwadi Party	29,549,381			71	37	32
			Communist Party of India (Marxist)				52	4	1
			All India Trinamool Congress				48	29	7
			All India Forward Bloc				32	0
			Communist Party of India				30	2
			Rashtriya Janata Dal				24	4	4
			Aam Aadmi Party				22	3	2
			Bharat Adivasi Party				22	1	1
			Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam				22	22	2
			Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray)				21	9	9
			Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi				13	2	1
			Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar)				12	8	3
			Revolutionary Socialist Party				10	1
			Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation				7	2	2
			Jharkhand Mukti Morcha				6	3	2
			Indian Union Muslim League				3	3
			Jammu and Kashmir National Conference				3	2	1
			Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party				3	0
			Vikassheel Insaan Party				3	0
			Assam Jatiya Parishad				1	0
			Kerala Congress				1	1
			Kerala Congress (Mani)				1	0
			Kongunadu Makkal Desia Katchi				1	0
			Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam				1	1	1
			Rashtriya Loktantrik Party				1	1
		Total					541	234
Others			All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam				36	0	1
			Bahujan Samaj Party					0	10
			Karnataka Rashtra Samithi				28	0
			YSR Congress Party				25	4	18
			Biju Janata Dal				21	0	12
			Uttama Prajaakeeya Party				20	0
			Bharat Rashtra Samithi				17	0	9
			Shiromani Akali Dal				14	1	1
			Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar)				17	0
			Indian National Lok Dal				10	0
			Jannayak Janta Party				10	0
			All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen					1	1
			Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam				5	0
			Gondwana Ganatantra Party					0
			All India United Democratic Front				3	0	1
			Revolutionary Goans Party				2	0
			Sikkim Democratic Front				1	0
			Zoram People's Movement				1	1	1
			Azad Samaj Party					1	1
			Voice of the People Party					1	1
			Other parties[a]
			Independents					7
	NOTA
Total					100%	-	-	-	-
Vote statistics
Valid votes
Invalid votes
Votes cast/turnout
Abstentions
Registered voters				968,821,926

By region

By state or union territory

Reactions

The election result was described as a "shock" to prime minister Modi,^[349][350] with the BJP falling short of its expectations of winning 400 seats.^[351] Though pre-poll predictions were for an overwhelming majority for the BJP, the INDIA bloc performed much better than exit polls had predicted it to,^[352] with upset victories in major states such as Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and West Bengal.^[353]

National

Narendra Modi called the NDA's lead "a historical feat in India's history", while Congress party president Mallikarjun Kharge said the election was a "moral and political loss" for Modi and a "win for democracy" and the public.^[354] In a speech to his supporters on 4 June, Modi said that the NDA would form a third consecutive government.^[355]

International

The leaders of Barbados, Bhutan, Italy, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, Singapore, and Sri Lanka congratulated Narendra Modi and the BJP on their victory.^[356]*Barbados: ^[357]

• Bhutan: ^[358]
• Italy: ^[359]
• Maldives: ^[360]
• Mauritius: ^[361]
• Nepal: ^[362]
• Singapore: ^[363]
• Sri Lanka: ^[364]

Stock moves

The benchmark BSE Sensex and Nifty50 indices hit intraday record highs and the Indian rupee strengthened after the exit polls were released. The day election results were announced, Indian Stocks markets crashed.^[365]

• 2024 elections in India
• 2024 Rajya Sabha elections
• Elections in India
• Election Commission of India

• Media related to 2024 Indian general election at Wikimedia Commons