Lok Sabha Elections 2024: CEC Rajiv Kumar says ECI fully prepared for general elections, polls belong to voters; catch all highlights here

Election Commission of India (ECI) press conference highlights: Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said on Saturday that the 2024 Lok Sabha elections will take place in seven phases, just like five years ago, with voting under the first phase to take place on April 19 and in the second on April 26.

The counting of votes will take place on June 4, CEC Kumar said as he announced the schedule of the much-anticipated general elections 2024. Catch Lok Sabha Elections 2024 full schedule here 

"The world's eyes are on India for its grand democratic process... Logistics and arrangements play a self-explanatory role in the world's biggest democracy," he said, asserting that the ECI has made all the necessary preparations to ensure a fair election process.   

The current term of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament, is due to expire on June 16, 2024. A new government must be elected prior to that. 

Here are some of the highlights of what CEC Kumar said: 

• ECI team ready for Lok Sabha elections 2024
• ECI makes a draft publication when electoral roll process starts
• Elections are like a festival in our country 
• Last 11 state polls were peaceful, violence-free with near-zero repolls
• We will further improve going forward
• For sustainable polls, directions given to parties on waste management, minimum user of paper, reducing carbon footprint etc.
• Political parties must be respectful towards people with disabilities while campaigning
• Use of children prohibited
• Aim to to ensure voting percentage goes up from 67 per cent last time
• Parties must maintain decorum during campaigning, refrain from abuses and personal attacks
• We should not say something against a rival that we regret later
• 55 lakh EVMs to be used in 2024 elections
• Over 10.5 lakh polling stations manned by 1.5 crore personnel

• Minutes of the draft are shared with political parties
• ECI has also worked on women voters  
• Polls to be held in Jammu and Kashmir
• Basic facilities to be available at all polling stations 
• Each polling station to have drinking water, a toilet, a ramp-and-wheelchair facility for physically-challenged voters, a shed, ⁠ample light etc. 
• As many as 1.8 crore first-time voters this time
• 10.5 lakh polling booths
• ECI faces four key challenges: muscle, money, misinformation, MCC violations
• We will be ruthless if violence takes place anywhere during polls
• Drone-based checking to take place at borders during polls
• Strict vigil over illicit online cash transfers, suspicious transactions through payment wallets: Election Commission on poll preparations.
• Political parties must ensure responsible social media behaviour, originators of fake news to be dealt with severely: EC.
• Decreasing levels of political discourse a matter of concern
• ECI to go beyond moral censure to act against Model Code violators
• Money seizures rose by 835 per cent to Rs 3,400 crore in last 11 state polls during 2022-23
• We won't allow misuse of money power
• Voter's list to be updated by April 1
• 98.8 crore total registered voters in India (vs 89.6 crore in 2019)
  • Male voters: 47.15 crore (vs 46.50 crore in 2019)
  • Women voters: 49.72 crore (43.10 crore in 2019)
  • Third gender: 48,044 (39,683 in 2019)
  • Physically-challenged electors: 88.35 lakh (45.64 lakh in 2019)
  • Electors aged above 80: 1.85 crore 
  • Electors aged above 100: 2.38 lakh
  • Electors under 18-19 age group: 1.84 crore (1.5 crore in 2019)
  • Electors under 20-29 age group: 19.74 crore 
  • Gender ratio: 948 
• 2,100 observers appointed

• Observers will ensure level-playing field, conduct of polls free of inducement, coercion, intimidation

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