On 1 June, the largest elections in the planet ended – parliamentary elections in India. There were 543 seats to be cast. The election lasted from 19 April to 1 June (6 weeks), with only 7 designated vacation days being allowed to vote. 1 of them was Buddy's birthday on May 23. If 6 weeks sounds like quite a few time to vote for just 1 parliament, it is worth reminding that the first parliamentary elections in India, held between 1951 and 1952 lasted over 17 weeks [1].
As many as 969 million people from 1.4 billion people in the country had the right to vote (in another words, 1 in 8 people in the planet had the right to vote in India).
Interestingly, India does not let abroad voting options. As many as 13.4 million Indians live outside India, but if they wanted to vote, they had to return to the country [2]. The final attendance was 66% [4]. 51% of the voters were male and the remaining 49% were female. This consequence set a evidence in women's participation in Indian elections.
Indian law states that voters cannot travel more than 2 kilometres to the nearest voting place. So this year, 13 million people working on elections traveled across the country – by helicopter, by ship, or even by camel or elephant – to scope anyone who wanted to vote [1]. erstwhile I compose everyone, I truly mean everyone. This year, employees traveled almost 40 kilometres so that 1 female could give her vote [2]. Additionally, soldiers besides travel with them. India in the 20th century faced the problem of aggression during elections or even kidnapping candidates. The presence of the army is to guarantee peace [1]. besides interesting is the way we vote. After giving the voice, each voter's finger was marked with a line of insoluble purple ink to prevent the voice from returning. This ink remains on the skin and nails for about 2 weeks [2].
The results were given 3 days after the end of the election, thanks to the voting device system, which makes the voting process much easier. The biggest fight was fought between the 2 coalitions: the centre-right National Democratic Alliance (NDA), where the Indian People's organization (BJP) and the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) with the Indian National legislature (INC) at the head. 73-year-old Narendra Modi of BJP retained his position as Prime Minister and will begin his 3rd term. BJP itself won 240 seats out of 543 possible. Given the seats of the coalition parties, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has won 293 seats, which gives it 42% of all possible seats. This is simply a crucial drop compared to the 2019 election, erstwhile Modi's organization itself won 303 seats, which provided her parliamentary majority. The election success was noted by the India coalition, scoring 234 seats, representing 40% of the parliament. Her leading INC organization secured 99 seats [5].
The reason for falling support for the Indian People's organization (which is at the same time the reason why in these elections she was forced to form a coalition) is the increasing unemployment problem that Modi was incapable to cope with by his 2 erstwhile terms. In India there are almost a billion people of a strong age, while in the country they can find only 430 million jobs.
Furthermore, those who are already employed most frequently work on farms or as physical workers in dangerous conditions without a state warrant of their rights. The reason for this is to focus India on self-sufficiency and, consequently, to miss out on an industrial boom that has helped Asian countries in fresh decades, pulling millions of people out of poorness in South Korea, Japan or China. presently in India, production in factories accounts for only 13% of the economy. That's little than a decade ago erstwhile Narendra Modi started his first term. India is presently facing a chance to become a productive power due to the fact that most Western countries plan to decision their production there to weaken their dependence on China. This transferred production could improve, if not solved, the unemployment problem in India. However, India needs highways, airports and ports, i.e. the challenges presently facing Prime Minister Modi at the threshold of its 3rd word [3].
Bibliography:
1. Yoon and Kumar “Why Do Elections in India Take So Long?” [Accession 10.06.2024]
2. BBC “India elections 2024: erstwhile were they, who could vote and why do they matter?” [Accession 10.06.2024]
3. Goodman “India’s Modi, Humbled by Voters, Faces possible economical Struggles” [Accessed 10.06.2024]
4. The Indian Express “2024 Lok Sabha elections Saw overall voter turnout at 65.79%, lowwest in Bihar” [Accession 10.06.2024]
5. Sinha “NDA elects Modi as leader, president dissolves Lok Sabha” [Accessed 10.06.2024]
Photo:Canva
