With the Lok Sabha Elections 2019 already in process, all eyes are on the overall turnout of the voters and the winning party that will form a government at the center. Here are some interesting facts about the ongoing elections which is sure to play a crucial role in deciding the future of India in the upcoming five years:
1. 10 Lakh Polling Stations
The Election Commission of India has set up around 10 lakh polling stations across the nation which is 10% more than in 2014.
2. Strict Rules For Candidates With Criminal Background
For the first time, the ECI has made it mandatory for the candidates with a criminal background to put up an advertisement in local newspapers as well as on television channels regarding their criminal antecedents.
Prior to that, candidates were only required to give details about the cases against them in the court to the poll panel through an affidavit. But it was not necessary to make the details public.
3. Ballot Papers To Carry Photographs Of Candidates
It is for the first time that the postal ballot papers, as well as the EVMs, will have the photographs of the candidates as well as their symbols and party names.
According to the ECI, the decision has been made to make sure that the voters can easily identify their political leaders contesting the elections.
4. VVPAT To Be Used the First Time
The Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) will be used for the first time in all the EVMs in the country for the first time. With the help of a VVPAT, a voter can verify whether the vote has been cast as intended.
When a voter casts a vote, a slip containing the name, serial number and the symbol of the candidate voted is printed out. The voter can see this through a transparent window for seven seconds and then it automatically gets cut and falls into the sealed drop box.
5. 900 Million People To Vote In Lok Sabha Elections 2019
Around 900 million people will be voting in this year’s Lok Sabha elections which is almost equal to the population of Brazil and Europe combined together.
6. 84.3 Million To Cast Vote For The First Time
In the Lok Sabha Elections 2019, 84.3 million voters will be casting vote for the first time. It means more than 80 million young voters have been added to the list of voters.
7. 15 Million VeryYoung Voters
Around 15 million voters casting their votes are between the age group of 18 and 19. These form 1.66% of the overall electorate. Citizens who turned 18 years of age on January 1st this year and have registered themselves as electors will be eligible to cast their votes.
8. 12 Big-Sized EVMs To Be Used In Nizamabad District
The Nizamabad district in Telangana will be having 12 big-sized EVMs for the first time in every polling booth as 185 candidates are in the fray from this constituency. It is the first constituency in the country that will have EVMs in such a large number during polling.
9. Richest And Poorest Candidate Contesting From Telangana
KV Reddy contesting from the Chevella Lok Sabha constituency in Telangana is the richest candidate contesting in Phase 1 of elections with a family asset of 895 crores. He is the candidate of Congress Party.
Nalla Prem Kumar is the poorest candidate contesting from Chevella Lok Sabha constituency with declared assets of Rs.500 in Phase 1 elections. He is the candidate of JDU. Interestingly, both the poorest and the richest candidates are contesting against each other from the same constituency.
10. Any Of 12 Approved Identity Cards Allowed
From this year, a voter can carry any of the 12 approved identity cards and vote at the polling stations. A voter cannot vote on just a voter slip. Rather photo voter slips will not be allowed as the only identification document for voting.
Some of the valid documents that are allowed include Aadhar card, passport, PAN card, driving license, etc.
11. Highest Polling Station
Tashigang in Himachal Pradesh placed at a height of 15,256 ft is the world’s highest polling station. It is located in the Lahaul-Spiti region dominated by the Buddhist.
12. Longest Election In India
This time the Lok Sabha Elections 2019 are being held in different phases and hence is the longest elections ever held in India in terms of the number of days. The elections are going to be held in 7 phases across 39 days. The previous Lok Sabha Elections held in 2014 were spread across 36 days.
So, with this, we request everyone to cast your vote and serve your duty of being a responsible citizen.
