Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar reminds people of importance of every vote

New Delhi:

On the eve of the first phase of the Lok Sabha polls, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar today reminded people of the importance of every vote and said that in some cases, a single vote could matter in a crucial contest.

He said in a video speech that elections are the most beautiful expression of Indian democracy and “there is nothing better than voting.”

In view of the heat wave, Mr Kumar said people must take all precautions. “But I know the spirit of the Indian electorate will overcome the summer heat,” he said.

“In our great democracy, the elections are yours, the choices are yours… You are deciding the government. You are doing it for yourself, for your families and children, for your village or town and, of course, for the country, “He said.

“I call on the youth to lead a revolution in electoral participation,” the Chief Electoral Commissioner said while urging people to vote.

He reminded people to never underestimate the power of “your vote.” Kumar said that in many cases, one vote can be crucial in a critical race.

The 2024 Lok Sabha polls will kick off on Friday, with voting scheduled for 102 seats spread across 21 states and federal territories in the first phase. At the same time, assembly elections will also be held in Arunachal Pradesh (60 seats) and Sikkim (32 seats).

More than 16.63 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise during this phase.

The electorate includes 840 million men, 8.23 ​​billion women and 11,371 third gender voters. In addition to 3.51 billion young voters in the 20-29 age group, the number of first-time voters is as high as 3.567 million.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)