Voting period of 2024 Lok Sabha polls longest since first general elections.

The shortest voting period for a general election in the country was in 1980 and it was just four days.The voting period for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, spread over 44 days, would be the second longest after the first parliamentary elections of 1951-52 that lasted for more than four months.The total days of the electoral process this time, from the announcement of the polls by the Election Commission on Saturday till counting of votes, is 82.Lok Sabha polls will be held in seven phases beginning from April 19 and the counting of votes will take place on June 4 for the world’s biggest election exercise in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will bid for a third consecutive term.Dates are decided based on the geography of regions and other factors such as public holidays, festivals and examinations, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar said at a press conference on Saturday when asked about the long-duration of polls.He was also asked if this long schedule could work against opposition parties.“It has been asked why elections are being held in seven phases and opposition parties have alleged that it may disturb the level-playing field…,” Kumar said.“Look at the geography of the country…there are rivers, mountains, snow, jungle, summers…think of the security forces’ movements, they will move in the gaps between phases, through the length and breadth of the country…imagine the pressure on them. There are festivals and exams…when we sit with the calendar, we fix one date, then it has to be changed…,” he said.“We do not take any action to favour anyone or hurt anyone. If anyone has such doubt they are wrong,” the CEC said.