The 18th Lok Sabha election, conducted from April 19, 2024, to June 1, 2024, in seven phases, has concluded. Today, on June 4th, the results have been announced by the Election Commission of India.

Lok Sabha Election Results 2024 Live Update, BJP Nears 250 As INDIA Bloc Stuns NDA In Tight Race

The 2024 Lok Sabha elections have brought a thrilling contest as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nears 300 seats, while the opposition INDIA bloc has put up a strong challenge against the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) by leading 227 seats. 

Winner: Poll pundits had predicted a third term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but the intense competition from the INDIA bloc has added an unexpected twist to the race.

Seat Share: The BJP is approaching the 300-seat mark, solidifying its strong presence across several key states.

INC Seat Share: The Indian National Congress (INC) is approaching 98 seats. However, The Congress-led INDIA Alliance managed to get around 227 seats.

Regional Dominance: Despite facing a tough challenge in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP has managed to maintain its stronghold in several regions.

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INDIA Bloc’s Challenge

The INDIA bloc, a coalition of opposition parties, has emerged as a formidable force, significantly impacting the NDA’s dominance in several states.

The bloc’s performance in states like Uttar Pradesh has been particularly notable, presenting a stiff challenge to the BJP’s dominance.

Notable Wins

Prime Minister Narendra Modi: Narendra Modi has secured his third consecutive victory with 6,11,439 votes, defeating Congress’ Ajay Rai, who garnered 4,59,084 votes.

Constituency: Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

Home Minister Amit Shah

Home Minister Amit Shah wins Gandhinagar’s seat by over 7.4 lakh votes against opponent Congress candidate Sonal Patel. 

Constituency: Gandhinagar, Gujarat

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Lok Sabha Election 2024, Post Announcement of Dates

• Implementation of the Model Code of Conduct: As soon as the Election Commission of India announces date of the Lok Sabha elections, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) will come into effect nation-wide, and will stay until the results of the Lok Sabha Election are declared.

• Electoral Rolls: The ECI will also provide details on how eligible voters can apply to have their name included in the voter list. 
  • The electorate for the general elections is expected to touch 1 billion (100 crore) people, which is roughly equivalent to 12.5 per cent of the global population.
• EVM Requirement: The ECI will also provide details on the number of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines required for conducting the upcoming election. 
  • Procedure for assignment of EVMs, verification of their functioning, and storage and transport will also be announced.

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What is Lok Sabha? Key Features, Constitutional Provisions, and Electoral Dynamics 

• About: Lok Sabha is the Lower house of the Indian Parliament and enjoys Legislative, Executive, Financial, Judicial and Electoral powers.
• Constitutional Provisions: Under Article 81, the total composition of the Lok Sabha must not exceed 552. 
  • Out of these, 20 are members of the Union Territories, and 530 members are the representatives of State.
• Membership: Currently elections will be conducted by the Election Commission to fill 543 seats. 
  • The two remaining nominated seats for Anglo-Indians have been abolished under the 104th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2019.
• Term: The members of Lok Sabha hold office for a term of 5 years. The members are directly elected based on Universal Adult Suffrage.
  • In case of Emergency, the tenure of Lok Sabha can be extended to one year.

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Lok Sabha Seat Distribution: State-wise Breakdown and Reserved Categories

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Delimitation Commission in India, Boundary Redrawing and Representation Process

• About: The President of India appoints the delimitation commission for the purpose of drawing up the boundaries of constituencies all over the country.
• Purpose: The process of delimitation is conducted to fix boundaries of territorial constituencies to represent changes in population. 
  • The data from the latest census is used for redrawing boundaries and also determining reserved seats. 
  • The commission also designated constituencies that will be reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in a particular state.
• Process: The Delimitation Act under Article 82 will be enacted by the Parliament after every census.
  • The Central Government sets up a Delimitation Commission after enactment of the act. The Delimitation commission conducts study on ground to determine constituencies in the states.
  • The commission will be actively assisted by the Election Commission of India. 
  • Once the report of the Delimitation Commission is laid before the Lok Sabha or State Legislative Assembly, it cannot be modified.
  • The decision of the commission cannot be questioned before any court of law.
• Delimitation Commission Act 2002: As per this law, the next delimitation exercise may be conducted after the first census to be taken after the year 2026. So far, four such Commissions have been constituted in the year of 1952, 1963, 1973, and 2002.

Women Reservation Act, 2023 (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam), The 2023 Amendment for Reservation in Indian Legislatures

• Purpose: The Parliament enacted the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023, to reserve one-third of all seats for women in Lok Sabha, State legislative assemblies, and the Legislative Assembly of UTs.
• Identifying Constituencies: The seats reserved for women under the provision will be rotated after each delimitation process. It will also be applicable for SC and ST seats.
• Implementation: The act will come into effect after the publication of the next census, which is due in 2027. Hence the act will likely be implemented in the 2029 General Elections.
• Duration: The reservation will be initially provided for a period of 15 years but can be extended till such date as determined by a law made by Parliament.
• Non-Applicability: One of the distinct features of the law is that it does not provide reservation in the Rajya Sabha and State Legislative Councils. 

Democracy in Action: Understanding the Process of Lok Sabha Elections

• Conducting Authority: The Lok Sabha elections are conducted by the Election Commission of India. 
• Constituencies: Seats in Lok Sabha are allotted to a state in such a manner that the ratio between that number and its population is as close to uniform as possible.  
  • Constituencies are formed in such a manner that the ratio between the population of each constituency and the number of seats allotted to it remain the same throughout the state. 
• Voters: Individuals who are 18 years of age, having registered themselves as a voter in a particular constituency, can vote in the elections.

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Conducting a Lok Sabha Election, Roles and Responsibilities in Lok Sabha Election Conduct

• Authority: The Election Commission of India, which is an autonomous constitutional body,  is responsible for conducting Lok Sabha elections in India.
• Officials Involved:
  • Chief Electoral Officer: Chief Electoral Officers along with Additional Chief Electoral Officers and Deputy Chief Electoral Officers supervise all elections held in the State/Union Territory.
  • The Returning Officer: The Election Commission of India appoints a Returning Officer to guide the election process in the constituency. 
    • The Returning officers ensure smooth conduct of elections and also declare results after counting votes.
  • Electoral Registration Officer (ERO): The Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) is responsible for preparing  and revising the electoral roll for each ward.
  • District Election Officer (DEO): The provision of polling stations and the publication of the list of polling stations is the responsibility of the DEO.
  • Booth Level Officers (BLOs): The functions of BLOs include updation of electoral rolls, distributing voter slips, carrying out poll day arrangements and providing assistance to voters in booths.

How Lok Sabha Members are Elected? The Democratic Path

• Election Procedure: Lok Sabha members are elected by an adult universal suffrage and a first-past-the-post system.
• Voting Procedure: Registered voters are required to cast their votes through an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM).
• Eligibility of Candidates:
  • Under Article 84 of the Indian constitution, a candidate for Lok Sabha must have the following eligibility:
    • He/she should be a citizen of India.
      He/she should be 25 years of age.
    • He/she must not hold an office of profit under the Indian government or state governments.
    • He/she should have their name in the electoral rolls in any part of the country.
    • He/she must not be of an unstable mind.
    • He/she must possess qualifications prescribed under any law made by the Parliament.

Powers and Functions of Lok Sabha

• Motion of No-confidence: A no-confidence motion can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha. If passed by a majority vote, the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers have to resign. 
• Impeachment: The Lok Sabha has the powers to carry out impeachment proceedings against the President, the judges of Supreme Court and High Court.
• Election of the President: The members of Lok Sabha vote in the elections of the President and the Vice President of India.
• Using Funds from Consolidated Fund of India: No money can be withdrawn from the Consolidated Fund of India without the approval of the Lok Sabha.
  • In this regard, the money bill can only be introduced in the Lok Sabha.
• Passing of Bills: The Lok Sabha performs legislative functions by introducing general as well as Constitutional amendment bills.
• Approving Emergency: The approval of Lok Sabha, along with Rajya Sabha, is needed for approving emergency proclamation. The approval of Lok Sabha is also needed for emergency discontinuation.

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The Role and Election of Lok Sabha Speaker, Upholding Constitutional Leadership

• About: The Lok Sabha speaker is the chairperson of Lok Sabha. He/she is the constitutional and ceremonial head of the House.
• Origin: The office of the Speaker of Lok Sabha is based on the Government of India Act of 1919 (Montague-Chelmsford Reforms).
• Criteria:  Article 93 of the constitution provides that the Speaker should be a member of the House.
  • Knowledge of Constitution and the laws of the country is considered a major asset for the designated speaker.
• Process of Election: The Lok Sabha speaker is elected from amongst the members of the house by a simple majority of members present and voting.
• Tenure: The Lok Sabha speaker holds office from the date of his/her election till the first meeting of the next Lok Sabha.
  • The speaker does not vacate his/her office and continues till the newly-elected Lok Sabha meets.
• Removal: The speaker leaves the office in following conditions:
  • If he/she is no longer a member of the Lok Sabha;
  • If he/she resigns by writing a resignation letter to the Deputy Speaker;
  • If he/she is removed by a resolution passed by a majority of all Lok Sabha members.
• Functions:
  • Interpreter of the Constitution: The speaker is the final interpreter of the Constitution of India, the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of Lok Sabha and the parliamentary precedents, within the House.
  • Chairing Joint Sitting: The speaker chairs the joint sitting of the Parliament. 
  • Casting Vote: The speaker does not vote in the first instance but can vote in case of a tie.
  • Disqualifications: The speaker decides the questions of disqualification of a member of the Lok Sabha on the basis of anti-defection law.
  • Constituting House Committees: The Committees of the House are constituted by the speaker and they function under the direction of the speaker.
  • Money Bill: The speaker decides whether a bill is a money bill or not and the decision of the speaker on this question is final.

Role and Election of Deputy Speaker in Lok Sabha, Supporting Parliamentary Continuity

• About: The Deputy Speaker performs duty of the speaker during his/her absence. The office is not subordinate to the Speaker.
• Election: The deputy speaker of Lok Sabha is elected by the members of the Lok Sabha from amongst its members immediately after the election of the Speaker.
  • The date of the election is decided by the speaker. 
• Criteria: The deputy speaker must be a member of Lok Sabha and there is a convention that the post of Deputy Speaker goes to the main opposition party.
• Tenure: The deputy speaker holds office during the life of the Lok Sabha. 
• Removal: The deputy speaker leaves the office in following conditions:
  • If he/she is no longer a member of the Lok Sabha;
  • If he/she resigns by writing a resignation letter to the Deputy Speaker;
  • If he/she is removed by a resolution passed by a majority of all Lok Sabha members.
• Functions of Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha:
  • The Deputy Speaker does not have any special responsibility apart from performing the duty of the speaker during his/her absence.

Lok Sabha Tenure, Normal Completion and Exceptional Dissolution Scenarios

• Normal End: Under Article 83 (2) of Indian constitution, the Lok Sabha lasts until completion of five years from the first day of its meeting.
• Exceptional Cases: However, on the advice of the Prime Minister, the Lok Sabha can be dissolved earlier by the President.
  • The President can also dissolve Lok Sabha if he/she feels that no viable government can be formed after the current regime falls.

Lok Sabha Election 2019, Model Code, Seven Phases, and Record Turnout

• Announcement: The Model Code of Conduct came into effect on 10 March 2019 after the election schedule was announced by Election Commission of India (ECI).
• Duration: The Election Commission of India conducted Lok Sabha election in seven phases from 11 April 2019 to 19 May 2019.
• Voters: There were 91. 2 crore people eligible to vote, with the turnout being 67 per cent. This was the highest ever turnout for Lok Sabha elections.

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Conclusion

• The Lok Sabha is not a continuous chamber as it generally has a fixed tenure of five years. 
• As the present Lok Sabha is nearing its end of tenure, the elections for the chamber will be notified soon.
• The Lok Sabha election is a crucial event in Indian politics, determining the composition of the lower house of Parliament. 
• It involves millions of voters casting their ballots to elect representatives from various political parties. 
• These elections reflect the democratic spirit of India and have a significant impact on the country’s governance, policies, and socio-economic trajectory.