With voting for 88 seats distributed among 13 states and Union Territories, the second round of the India General Elections 2024 got underway on Friday. Eight seats in Maharashtra had the lowest turnout (18.83%), while one constituency in Tripura had the highest turnout, with over 36% of eligible voters casting ballots, according to Election Commission data as of 11 a.m.
By the end of the day, a third of the 543 Lok Sabha seats will have been voted on, including all of Kerala, Rajasthan, Manipur, and Tripura, as well as 14 of Karnataka’s 28 seats. Other seats where voting is taking place include eight in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, seven in Madhya Pradesh, five in Assam and Bihar, three in West Bengal and Chhattisgarh, and one in Jammu and Kashmir.
India General Elections 2024 Date summary
| 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 a 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 | 4 June 2024 | ||||||
| No. of constituencies | 1011⁄2 | 871⁄2 | 95 | 96 | 49 | 57 | 57 |
How Many Candidates are in the Fray Today?
There are 1,210 candidates in all. With 74 candidates, the BSP has fielded the most in this phase, followed by the BJP with 69 and the Congress with 68. Karnataka has the most candidates (247), followed by Kerala (all 20 seats) at 189 and Maharashtra (8 seats) at 204, with 14 seats up for election.
India General Elections 2024 Phase 2 Voting Updates
The 18th Lok Sabha elections are currently in their second phase, with voting for 88 seats taking place across 13 states and union territories. More than 1,200 candidates are running for office, four of whom are from outside Manipur.
Thirteen states and union territories reported a 25.1% voter turnout as of eleven a.m. Maharashtra had the lowest voter turnout, with over 18.8% of voters, while Chhattisgarh and Tripura recorded over 35% of voters. In these 88 seats, voting was recorded more than 25.6% of the total until 11 am in 2019.
Tomorrow’s elections will be for all 20 seats in Kerala, 14 of the 28 seats in Karnataka, 13 seats in Rajasthan, 8 seats in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, 7 seats in Madhya Pradesh, 5 seats in Assam and Bihar, 3 seats in West Bengal and Chhattisgarh, and 1 seat each in Manipur, Tripura, and Jammu and Kashmir.
Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, BJP members Tejasvi Surya, Hema Malini, and Arun Govil, Rahul Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor of the Congress, DK Suresh, the brother of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, and former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy are among the notable contenders for the second phase.
Contemporary Politics and Previous Elections
The two primary political parties that dominate national politics in India’s multiparty system are the Indian National Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party. With Narendra Modi at the helm, the Bharatiya Janata Party has ruled the nation since 2014.
It is anticipated that the 17th Lok Sabha will adjourn on June 16, 2024. Following the April–May 2019 general election, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance established the union government, with Modi serving as prime minister.
Planning of India General Elections 2024
A Lok Sabha election’s critical procedures include monitoring campaign spending, prohibiting the sale of illegal goods, and ensuring that the Model Code of Conduct is followed. Campaigns come to an end in the last 48 hours, and measures are taken to keep things in order and prevent disruptions.
Strict regulations are in place on polling day to prevent undue influence and ensure a safe and orderly electoral process. Booth-level officers assist voters while EVMs are securely sealed and stored. To ensure free, fair, and peaceful elections, the exercise must be carefully planned.