India Elections 2024: Millions to cast their vote as world’s largest election kicks off
The first phase of the mammoth general elections in India began on Friday morning with voters queuing up at polling booths in 102 constituencies across 21 states.
At least 969 million registered voters – 471 million of them women – are expected to cast their ballots in seven phases of voting spread over 44 days. The votes will be counted and the results announced on 4 June.
Polling started at 7am (0130 GMT) and will continue until 6pm. If there are still voters in the queue then, however, they shall be allowed to cast their ballot.
Voters began lining up outside polling stations much before they opened amid tight security, including senior citizens who needed help to reach the booths.
At JKP PG College in Muzaffarnagar in northern Uttar Pradesh state, Salma, 36, had just cast her vote and was waiting for her family that at least 30 members from her family were voting today.
