A day before vote counting, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar announced that India achieved the highest voter turnout globally in the Lok Sabha elections, calling the event a “miracle.”
During a Monday press conference, CEC Rajiv Kumar applauded all voters for participating in the elections.
“We have created a world record of 642 million voters. This historic moment for all of us is 1.5 times the voters of all G7 countries and 2.5 times the voters of 27 European Union (EU) countries. We thank everyone who took part in this festival of democracy. The Indian elections are indeed a miracle, with no parallel in the world,” Rajiv Kumar stated.
He highlighted that 312 million women voted in the 2024 General Elections, 1.25 times the number of women voters in the last national election across 27 EU countries, reflecting the ECI’s commitment to inclusive elections.
“The contribution of voters aged 85 and above is inspiring for our younger generation; they are the heroes of our democracy. They have witnessed India before independence and have shaped this country with their contributions over the past 70 years,” CEC Kumar added.
He noted that meticulous work by election personnel led to fewer repolls: “We ensured fewer repolls, with only 39 in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls compared to 540 in 2019. Of these, 25 out of 39 repolls were in just two states.”
The Election Commission expressed gratitude to the people of Jammu and Kashmir for their faith in the electoral process, noting that voter turnout in the state was the highest in four decades.
A global delegation of 75 observers from 23 countries praised India’s electoral process, highlighting its unparalleled scale, meticulous planning, and integrity.
“Identified, Confronted, and Tackled Muscle, Money, Misinformation, and MCC Violations – these impediments to free, fair, and transparent elections were addressed and responded to,” Kumar said.
He also mentioned the absence of violence in this election: “This is one of the General Elections where we have not seen violence. This required two years of preparation.”
The Election Commission made a record seizure of nearly Rs 10,000 crores during this election, almost three times the amount seized in 2019.
Kumar detailed the robust counting process for the Lok Sabha election results, comparing its precision to that of a clock.
The press conference, also attended by ECs Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, came amid exit poll predictions of a significant win for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), suggesting a potential “400 paar” target as stated by BJP leaders.
The Lok Sabha elections, held in seven phases starting April 19, saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi lead the BJP campaign. Votes will be counted on June 4.
