General elections were held in India from 19 April to 1 June 2024 in seven phases, to elect all 543 members of the Lok Sabha.[a] More than 968 million out of a population of 1.4 billion people were eligible to vote, equivalent to 70 percent of the total population. 642 million voters participated in the election and 312 million of them were women, making it the highest ever participation by women voters. This was the largest-ever election, surpassing the previous election, and lasted 44 days, second only to the 1951–52 Indian general election. The legislative assembly elections in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Sikkim were held simultaneously with the general election, along with the by-elections for 25 constituencies in 12 legislative assemblies.
Incumbent prime minister Narendra Modi, who completed a second term, ran for a third consecutive term after his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had enjoyed an absolute majority (minimum of 272 seats) in the 2019 and 2014 elections. The primary opposition was the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), a coalition formed by the Indian National Congress (INC) and other regional parties. The election was criticized for lack of action on hate speeches by the BJP, concerns with the functioning of electronic voting machines (EVM), and suppression of political opponents of the BJP.
Opinion surveys of mainstream media outlets projected a decisive victory for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Votes were counted and the result was declared on 4 June to form the 18th Lok Sabha. However, the BJP won 240 seats, down from the 303 seats it had secured in 2019, and lost its singular majority in the Lok Sabha. The INDIA coalition outperformed expectations, securing 234 seats, 99 of which were won by INC, garnering the party the official opposition status for the first time in 10 years. Seven independents and ten candidates from non-aligned parties also won the elections.
On 7 June 2024, Narendra Modi submitted the letter of support of 293 MPs to Droupadi Murmu, the President of India and the President invited him to form the government. This marked Modi's third term as the Prime Minister of India and his first time heading a coalition government, with the Telugu Desam Party and Janata Dal (United) as major allies.
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