Extending his congratulations to the people of Bharat, American diplomat and US-India Business Council-USIBC president Atul Keshap likened Bharat’s national election to the Maha Kumbh Mela of Democracy. Posting on X, Keshap shared an image of the Indian Tricolour, expressing his heartfelt wishes as the nation embarks on the largest electoral exercise in human history.
“With 970 million eligible voters and 1.2 million polling places, Bharat’s national election resembles the Maha Kumbh Mela of Democracy,” he remarked.
Today marks the commencement of the world’s largest democratic process, with the first phase of polling covering 102 constituencies across 21 States and Union Territories. Scheduled from April 19 to June 1, this Lok Sabha election stands as the second longest in Bharat’s electoral history, following the maiden general election spanning over five months from September 1951 to February 1952.
In this electoral battle, Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks his third consecutive term, while the Opposition coalition, INDIA, aims to challenge the ruling BJP’s stronghold. The first phase of voting encompasses regions in various States including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry.
Subsequent phases are scheduled for April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1, with vote counting slated for June 4.
