EC Press Conference: The Indian Election Commission held a news conference on Monday to discuss its record of successfully conducting elections. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, along with ECs Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, spoke at the press conference. “Indian elections are indeed a miracle. Having no parallel in the world,” CEC Kumar said.
A Remarkable Absence of Violence
According to CEC Rajiv Kumar, “This is one of the General Elections where we have not seen violence. This required two years of preparation,” On Manipur he said, “There were no significant violent incidents from Manipur during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. 51.72 percent of voters from Outer Manipur and 71.96 percent from Inner Manipur participated in the general election in the northeastern state.” According to the EC, 10 districts had 94 special polling places set up, while the Tengnoupal district had one special polling place put up for a single voter.
Record Voter Turnout in Jammu & Kashmir
The highest voter turnout in the previous forty years was observed in Jammu & Kashmir. 51.05 percent of voters in the valley and 58.58 percent of voters nationwide were registered. “We abolished the cumebrsome Form-M for Jammu and Kashmir and we changed the policy for Kashmiri migrants,” CEC Kumar said. In the previous state, the EC also established 26 special polling places.
Recognition of Female Voters
Only one day before the 18th Lok Sabha vote count, there was a news conference. The Indian Election Commission also accorded a standing ovation to every female voter who participated in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. According to CEC Kumar, more women than ever before—312 million—executed their right to vote in the Lok Sabha elections of 2024, surpassing both the 2019 total and the global record.
The percentage of female voters was 1.25 times higher than that of voters in 27 EU member states. “The contribution of voters aged 85 and above is inspiring for our younger generation; they are the heroes of our democracy. They have witnessed India before independence and have shaped this country with their contributions over the past 70 years,” CEC Kumar said.