The Mystery of Voter Turnout in 2024 Lok Sabha in Charts

By: Team CVoter

The 2004 and 2009 Lok Sabha polls recorded a 57% and a 58% voter turnout respectively, and saw the Congress-led UPA governments come to power. In 2014, when the BJP ousted the Congress-led UPA, the turnout jumped to 66%. The BJP's second consecutive victory in 2019 was marked by a 67% voter turnout. High voter turnout is often associated with a vote for change in regime. 

With the first two phases of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections over, the voter turnout across the two phases is turning out to be heated point of contention. The Election Commission of India (ECI) numbers show a decline in the first two phases of the voting with 66.14% voter turnout in the first phase (102 seats) followed by 66.71% in Phase 2 (88 seats).

The incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is fighting for a third consecutive term in office and alleges the turnout, which is slower than the last elections, is a sign of voter confidence in the Modi government's victory. The opposition is representated by the INDIA grouping with key opposition parties such as the Indian National Congress (INC) to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as members amongst other small and big parties, claims that the low. 

The 2004 and 2009 Lok Sabha polls recorded a 57% and a 58% voter turnout respectively, and saw the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) governments come to power. In 2014, when the BJP ousted the Congress-led UPA, the turnout jumped to 66%. The BJP's second consecutive victory in 2019 was marked by a 67% voter turnout. High voter turnout is often associated with a vote for change in regime. 

Interestingly, voter turnout across states and seats various considerably. Lakshadweep posted the highest polling percentage at 84.16% in the first phase whereas big state such as West Bengal where just three out of 42 seats went to polls, 81.91% voter turnout was recorded followed by Tamil Nadu where 81.48% turnout was recorded as all seats went to elections together. CVoter takes a look at the top 10 and bottom 10 seats in terms of voter turnout.  

Arunachal East Lok Sabha seat recorded the highest polling at 81.31% after Lakshadweep (84.16%). In both seats voter turnout declined from the polling percentage of 2019 – 85.21% in Lakshadweep and 87.03% in Arunachal East. Bihar's Nawada Lok Sabha seat recorded the lowest turnout at 43.17% in the first phase, a decline of more than six per centage points recorded in 2019. Karauli-Dholpur registered 49.59% (55.18% in 2019) and Almora’s polling percentage was 48.74% (52.31% in 2019).