As the Lok Sabha elections of 2024 commenced with its first phase on Friday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi urged all eligible voters to cast their ballots, stressing that each vote holds the power to shape the future of Indian democracy and the upcoming generations.
The Congress leader posted on X, “Today is the first phase of voting! Remember, each of your votes is going to decide the future of Indian democracy and the coming generations. So come out and strengthen democracy by applying the power of your vote to the wounds inflicted on the soul of the nation in the last 10 years. Defeat hatred and open the ‘Mohabbat ki Dukan’ in every corner.”
आज पहले चरण का मतदान है!
याद रहे, आपका एक-एक वोट भारत के लोकतंत्र और आने वाली पीढ़ियों का भविष्य तय करने जा रहा है।
इसलिए बाहर निकलिए और पिछले 10 साल में देश की आत्मा को दिए गए ज़ख्मों पर अपने ‘वोट का मरहम’ लगाकर लोकतंत्र को मज़बूत कीजिए।
नफ़रत को हरा कर खोल दीजिए हर कोने… pic.twitter.com/A9lfRb6yh2
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 19, 2024
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also urged the young and first-time voters to participate actively, highlighting the significance of each vote and voice. On X, he stated, “The 2024 election commences today! As 102 seats across 21 states and UTs go to the polls, I urge all those voting in these seats to exercise their franchise in record numbers. I particularly call upon the young and first-time voters to vote in large numbers. After all, every vote counts and every voice matters!”
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The world’s largest democratic exercise commenced in the country today, with the first phase of a comprehensive process spanning seven phases to elect 543 members of the 18th Lok Sabha.
Scheduled from April 19 to June 1, this election is poised to become the second longest polling exercise in the country’s electoral history, following the inaugural general election, which extended over five months between September 1951 and February 1952. The previous general elections in 2019 were also conducted in seven phases.
In the first phase today, a total of 102 constituencies across 21 states and Union Territories will cast their votes. Vote counting is scheduled for June 4.
This phase includes seats in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry.
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