LIVE | Lok Sabha polls in 7 phases from April 19; counting on June 4

Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted a series of tweets after the Election Commission announced the dates of the seven-phase Lok Sabha polls 2024:  

“The biggest festival of democracy is here! EC has announced the 2024 Lok Sabha election dates. We, the BJP-NDA, are fully prepared for elections. We are going to the people on the basis of our track record of good governance and service delivery across sectors.

“Ten years ago, before we assumed office, the people of India were feeling betrayed and disillusioned thanks to INDI Alliance’s pathetic governance. No sector was left untouched from scams and policy paralysis. The world had given up on India. From there, it’s been a glorious turnaround.

“Powered by 140 crore Indians, our nation is creating new records of development. We have become the fifth largest economy and crores of people have been freed from poverty. Our schemes have reached all parts of India and the emphasis of saturation has yielded great results.

“The people of India are witnessing what a determined, focused and result oriented government can do. And, they want more of it. That is why from every corner of India, cutting across all sections of society, the people are saying in one voice- Ab Ki Baar, 400 Paar!

“Our Opposition is rudderless and issueless. All they can do is abuse us and practice vote bank politics. Their dynastic approach and attempts of dividing society are not being accepted. Equally hurting them is their corruption track record. People don’t want such leadership.

“In our third term, there’s much work to be done. The last decade was about filling gaps created by those who ruled for seventy years. It was also about instilling a spirit of self-confidence that yes, India can become prosperous and self-reliant. We will build on this spirit.

“The war against poverty and corruption will go on at an even faster pace. The emphasis on social justice will be strong. We are going to work towards making India the third largest global economy. We will further cement our effort for fulfilling the dreams of the youth.

“I can clearly see that the coming five years will be about our collective resolve of establishing the roadmap that will guide our trajectory as a nation for the next thousand years and make India the embodiment of prosperity, all-round growth and global leadership.

“I derive great strength from people’s blessings, especially the poor, our farmers, Yuva and Nari Shakti. When they say they are Modi’s family, it fills me with joy and makes me work harder to build a Viksit Bharat. This is THE era to make it happen and together we will!”

JP Nadda tweets: “I welcome the announcement of Lok Sabha elections 2024 by the Election Commission. Elections are the biggest festival of democracy. It is a medium to keep the country and the state moving on the path of development and good governance. I call upon the people of the entire nation to vote in record numbers and further strengthen the foundation of the world's largest democracy. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP will form the government with an overwhelming majority and will work with determination to fulfill the aspirations of the people for the next 5 years.”

“We were informed by all authorities that conducting J&K polls simultaneously wouldn’t be feasible due to security concerns. Elections in J&K will take place immediately after the Lok Sabha polls,” said CEC Rajiv Kumar.

According to CEC Rajiv Kumar, seven phases were necessary because of geographical conditions, festivals, exams, and other factors.