National Desk 3rd June: India has set a new world record for voter participation, with an unprecedented 64.2 crore (642 million) voters, including 31.2 crore (312 million) women, casting their ballots in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar announced this remarkable achievement on June 3, highlighting the immense scale of the world’s largest democratic exercise.
Kumar emphasized the extensive efforts involved in conducting the elections, which required the coordination of over 68,000 monitoring teams and a workforce of 1.5 crore (15 million) polling and security personnel.
Addressing social media memes that labeled election commissioners as ‘Laapataa Gentlemen’ (Missing Gentlemen), Kumar firmly stated, “We were always here, never went missing. Now memes can say the ‘Laapataa Gentlemen’ are back.”
The Election Commission lauded the smooth conduct of the polls, with only 39 incidents of repolling reported nationwide, a significant decrease from the 540 repolls required in the 2019 elections.
A standout highlight of this electoral process was the highest voter turnout in four decades recorded in Jammu and Kashmir, with an overall turnout of 58.58 percent, including 51.05 percent in the Kashmir Valley.
This historic election underscores India’s commitment to democratic processes and the active participation of its citizens in shaping the nation’s future.
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