With Narendra Modi at the head, the Bharatiya Janata Party has ruled the nation since 2014. The 17th Lok Sabha's term is expected to expire on June 16, 2024. Following the April–May 2019 general election, the Bharatiya Janata Party–led National Democratic Alliance formed the union government, with Modi remaining as prime minister.

The Indian Constitution stipulates in Article 83 that the Lok Sabha must be elected once every five years. Using first-past-the-post voting, all 543 elected MPs are chosen from single-member constituencies. The two seats designated for the Anglo-Indian community were eliminated by the 104th amendment to the constitution. Voters must be Indian nationals, be at least eighteen years old, regularly dwell in the constituency's voting area, be registered to vote (with their names appearing on the electoral rolls) and have a valid voter identification card issued by the Election Commission of India or an equivalent. A person may not be able to vote if they have been found guilty of electoral or other crimes. 968 million people are eligible to vote in the 2024 election, up almost 150 million from the 2019 election.

The Model Code of Conduct went into force on March 16, 2024, when the Election Commission of India announced the dates of the 18th Lok Sabha elections. The 17th Lok Sabha's term is expected to expire on June 16, 2024.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which is now in power, and the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), which is the opposition, are the two main alliances that have emerged in the lead-up to the general elections in 2024. The following six national parties are running in the Indian general elections of 2024: the BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party), the INC (Indian National Congress), the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), the NPP (National People's Party), and the AAP (Aam Aadmi Party). All of these parties, with the exception of the BSP, are members of alliances.

Major Election Issues

Unemployment

The Indian economy has been severely hampered by the problem of unemployment, which particularly affects young people. India's unemployment rate has reached a 45-year high . A 2022 World Bank report stated that while the country's unemployment rate was roughly 7%, India's young unemployment rate was 23.2% . 42.3% of graduates were unemployed in 2023, demonstrating the lack of job growth required to keep up with the growing workforce.

As a result, the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance is using rising unemployment and inflation as justification for criticising the BJP government's management of the Indian economy. Unemployment has so taken centre stage in the election campaigns. The Congress-led INDIA bloc promised in its separate youth manifesto to fill the 3 million government job vacancies and implement the "Right to Apprenticeship," which allows any person with a diploma or degree up to the age of 25 to request a one-year job with a salary of ₹100,000 during that time.

Hindu Nationalism

Ram Mandir consecration ceremony: For the Ram Mandir Inauguration Programmes, the BJP created a brochure to reach out to families all around the country. Following the dedication of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, Hindu nationalism has taken the stage in Indian politics. Modi upheld a long-standing political promise to rebuild the Ram Mandir, or temple, and the Hindu community in the country perceived this as his fulfilment of the BJP's programme. The Hindu community has also been a major supporter of Modi and the BJP's Hindu nationalist philosophy. Bollywood films that promote Hindu nationalism and the policies of the Modi government have also been released at the same time. Mmhonlumo Kikon, a BJP spokesman, responded to these worries by acknowledging that there is a "level of threat perception" but adding that the party is working to alter it.

When the opposition Congress Party and its leaders turned down an offer to attend the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony, claiming that the occasion had been politicised into a "BJP-RSS event," a significant controversy was sparked. Himanta Biswa Sarma, the chief minister of Assam, stated that the Congress had a chance to "reduce its sin" by accepting the invitation, but that history would still view it as "anti-Hindu." The four Shankaracharyas also declined to attend, claiming that the function at the partially constructed temple was politicised as a campaign event.

Electoral Bonds

The Modi government introduced the Electoral Bond system of campaign financing in 2017, allowing individuals and companies to donate money to political parties anonymously and without limits. On February 15, 2024, the Supreme Court of India ruled that the system was unconstitutional, citing the ability of donors to assert "influence over policymaking" in the process.

In order to match electoral donors with their recipients, the court on March 18 ordered the State Bank of India to provide all records pertaining to the electoral bonds to the Election Commission of India by March 21. The court also denied a request from the Confederation of Indian Industry, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India to withhold the donors' identities. According to early estimates, some of the biggest companies in India, including Vedanta Limited, Bharti Airtel, RPSG Group, and Essel Mining, were among the top donors to political parties.

Additionally, it was discovered that almost half of all documented donations went to the BJP. The All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), which received Rs 1,609.5 crore, the Congress Party, which received Rs 1,421.8 crore, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), which received Rs 1,214.7 crore, and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which received Rs 775.5 crore, are the top five political parties in terms of electoral bonds received.

Investigation into corruption cases

Authorities' investigations into state officials associated with opposition parties also took place during the election season. These officials included Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who was detained in February 2024 on suspicion of aiding an illicit land sale, and Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal, who is being investigated for suspected corruption in the issuance of liquor licences. While investigations into former opposition politicians who have since joined the BJP have been closed, the Enforcement Directorate is currently looking into a number of accusations against four chief ministers who are not affiliated with the BJP.

According to Agence France-Presse, Hartosh Singh Bal, a journalist for the current affairs magazine The Caravan, the government agencies' actions suggested that they were acting as "handmaidens of the ruling party to cow down the political opposition."95% of charges filed against opposition lawmakers show that the BJP-led government has a history of using Enforcement Directorate raids to pursue opposition politicians who criticise it. Atishi Singh, the finance minister of Delhi, charged that the Bharatiya Janata Party was planning a "political conspiracy" against Arvind Kejriwal after the latter was arrested on March 21 on suspicion of running a liquor licence scam. On March 22, fights broke out between party leaders, followers, and police as a result of his detention. In response to Kejriwal's incarceration, Rahul Gandhi declared, without mentioning names, that a "scared leader" wished to establish a "dead democracy".

All things considered, the Lok Sabha election of 2024 looks to be a crucial turning point in Indian history. Voters' choices in this election will determine the nation's future course and have a long-lasting effect on the lives of its citizens. Therefore, it is crucial that all eligible voters cast ballots in the election and choose wisely in a way that will benefit the nation as a whole.

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