The dates for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections were announced yesterday i.e. on 16 March. The voting period this year will be spread over 44 days. This would be the second longest after the first parliamentary elections that were held in 1951-52 which had lasted for more than four months. The Lok Sabha polls this year will be held in seven phases starting from 19 April while the counting of votes will take place on 4 June. The total days of the electoral process this time, from the announcement of the polls by the Election Commission on Saturday till counting of votes, is 82.
When was the shortest voting period?
The shortest voting period for a general election in the country was in 1980 and it was just four days.
Why are elections this year to be of longer duration?
When Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar was asked about the long-duration of polls, he said that dates are decided based on the geography of regions and other factors such as public holidays, festivals and examinations.
“Look at the geography of the country…there are rivers, mountains, snow, jungle, summers…think of the security forces’ movements, they will move in the gaps between phases, through the length and breadth of the country…imagine the pressure on them. There are festivals and exams…when we sit with the calendar, we fix one date, then it has to be changed…,” he said.
When he was questioned if the long schedule could work against opposition parties, he said that, “We do not take any action to favour anyone or hurt anyone. If anyone has such doubt they are wrong.” He also added that more phases have to be held in larger states, which have higher number of constituencies and candidates.
In a report quoted by The Indian Express, an official said, “There are many factors that contribute to drafting an election schedule. For instance, security forces require at least six days for inter-state movement and redeployment between two election phases. If there’s a festival in between, we must ensure that crucial days such as nomination, the last date of withdrawal, or even polling day do not coincide with it, as it could disrupt the entire process,” the report quoted an official as saying.”
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Published: 17 Mar 2024, 12:10 PM IST