site.btaIndia Sets World Record with 642 Mln Voters for Lower House of Parliament, Election Commission Says

India has set a world record with 642 million voters, including 312 million women, in the election of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar told a briefing on Monday.

More than 68,000 observer teams and some 15 million Election Commission officers ensured the calm conduct and security of the elections.

Nearly 400,000 vehicles, 135 special trains and 1,692 flights were used for the logistics of the election process, which was carried out in seven phases between May 19 and June 1.

Kumar also said that only 39 repolls took place in this election against 540 in the 2019 general election.

At 58.58%, the voter turnout in Jammu and Kashmir, which shares a border with Pakistan, was at a four-decade high.

The parliamentary elections in India, the world's most populous country with a population of more than 1.4 billion, last a total of 44 days, making them the longest in the world. Nearly 970 million people - more than a tenth of the world's population - are eligible to vote.

The results will be announced on June 4, three days after the end of this "giant exercise in democracy" as political analysts refer to the elections. The new members of the 545-seat Lok Sabha will become known. In fact, Indians voted for 543 seat, with two other members nominated by the country's president. 

The upper house of Parliament, the 245-seat Rajya Sabha (Council of States), is elected by the legislative assemblies of the 28 states and eight union territories, with 12 of the senators appointed by the president.