The Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said 55 lakh EVMs will be deployed across 10.5 lakh polling stations in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. At least 1.8 crore first-time voters and 19.47 crore voters between the age group of 20-29 years will also participate in the polls.
Ahead of announcing the dates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) provided details on the voter list, polling booths across the country, the number of EVMs to be used and how the security protocols to be implemented for peaceful elections among other details.
- According to the Election Commission, there are 97 crore registered voters across India who will vote in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
- 49.70 crore are male voters and 47.10 crore are female voters, said the Election Commission.
- The elections will be held in 7 phases, and bypolls will be held in 26 Assembly seats.
- There are 10.5 lakh polling stations in all constituencies with 1.5 crore polling officials.
- Over 55 lakh EVMs will be deployed in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
- “We have 1.8 crore first-time voters and 19.47 crore voters between the age group of 20-29 years,” said Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar.
- The ECI further said that 82 lakh PwDs, 2.2 lakh 100+ and 48,000 third-gender voters will participate in the elections.
- The Election Commission said over 85 lakh first-time women voters will participate in the elections.There are 12 states who have an elector gender ratio about 1,000, said CEC Rajiv Kumar.
- The Commission also said strict directions are given to DMs and SPs to ensure a level playing field. “CAPF is to be deployed adequately and assisted by Integrated control rooms in each district. Check posts and drones to ensure vigil. Ensuring voters’ trust is paramount,” Kumar said.
- More than 2,100 General, Police, and Expenditure Observers are being deployed for the upcoming elections.
- The ECI has offered 27 apps and portals for all stakeholders, including cVigil which empowers citizens to report MCC violations and assured action within 100 minutes.
- The Commission also directed enforcement agencies to crackdown on illicit money, liquor, drugs and freebies, reporting a surge of 800% to Rs 3,400 crore in 11 states in the 2022-23 election cycle.
- The polling booths deployed nationwide for the upcoming elections offer a seamless voting experience for voters, equipped with assured minimum facilities like ramps for PwDs (persons with disabilities) to assistance for pregnant women, our aim is inclusive participation, said the CEC.”The daunting challenges in conducting free and fair elections are four-fold, the 4Ms: muscle, money, misinformation, and MCC violations. The ECI is committed and has put in place measures to deal with these disruptive challenges,” he added.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said that by successfully conducting 17 general elections, over 400 state elections and 16 presidential and vice presidential elections, the ECI has set a “golden standard” in electoral exercise.
The stage is set for the biggest contest among the political parties for the top post of governance – the Prime Ministership. The BJP, which is the ruling party along with its NDA allies, is eyeing a record third consecutive term, setting the target of 370 for the party and over 400 for the alliance. The Opposition, Congress is a part of which, has attempted to unite under the umbrella of a grand alliance ‘I.N.D.I.A’ aiming to dethrone the ruling saffron party.
- (With inputs from agencies)
