Representative image.
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It has been a jam-packed year when it comes to elections in this country, which has kept the political climate rather heated up for most parts of the past 12 months.
Headlined by the 18th Lok Sabha elections held in seven phases between April 19 and June 1, India witnessed a total of nine elections (Lok Sabha along with eight state assembly polls) in 2024. From shock regime changes to returning governments - elections this year have seen it all.
As we near the end of an eventful 2024, let's take a look at the list of elections that were held in the country this year:
Lok Sabha Elections
PM Narendra Modi.
Credit: PTI Photo
The 18th Lok Sabha elections were conducted in seven phases, starting from April 19, 2024 and going on till June 1, 2024. Vote counting and declaration of results took place on June 4, 2024.
BJP-led NDA government were able to secure 293 out of the 543 seats on offer. Nonetheless, the NDA were able to form the government at the Centre with the support of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Janata Dal (United), marking Narendra Modi's third term as the Prime Minister and his first as the leader of a coalition government.
Arunachal Pradesh Assembly Elections
Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu.
Credit: PTI Photo
The Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly elections were conducted in a single phase on April 19, 2024, deciding the fate of all 60 constituencies.
The results were announced on June 2, 2024, which saw the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerge victorious in a comfortable manner. The saffron party won 46 out of the 60 seats, and Pema Khandu was reinstated as the Chief Minister for the third time.
Sikkim Assembly Elections
Sikkim CM Prem Singh Tamang.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Just like Arunachal Pradesh, the people of Sikkim got to exercise their franchise on April 19, 2024, when 32 members of the state legislative assembly were elected.
The poll results were announced on June 2, 2024 - the ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) won a whopping 31 out of 32 seats, cementing their stronghold in the state. Prem Singh Tamang retained his Chief Ministerial position.
Andhra Pradesh Assembly Elections
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
Credit: PTI File Photo
The single-phased Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections were held on May 13, 2024. Vote counting and result declaration of the Andhra polls coincided with that of the Lok Sabha elections on June 4, 2024.
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led NDA secured a landslide victory by winning 164 out of the 175 seats, with the TDP alone bagging 135. On the other hand, the incumbent YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) could manage to win only 11 seats.
TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu succeeded YSRCP supremo Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy as the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister.
Odisha Assembly Elections
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi
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Elections for the 147-member Odisha Legislative Assembly took place in four phases between May 13 and June 1, 2024, with the results being declared on June 4, 2024, alongside the same for the Lok Sabha elections.
In a rather unexpected outcome, the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) faced a major setback as they could win only 51 out of the 147 constituencies. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) managed to attain majority by winning 78 seats, thereby ending BJD's 24-year rule in the state.
The saffron party appointed Mohan Charan Majhi as the new Chief Minister of the state, who replaced BJD chief Naveen Patnaik in the role.
Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
Credit: PTI Photo
Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir were held this year for the first time in 10 years, and for the first time after the abrogation of Article 370 (in 2019).
Polls were conducted in three phases between September 18 and October 1, 2024, that sealed the fate of 90 constituencies in the Union Territory (UT).
On October 8, 2024, the election results were declared - the National Conference (NC)-led I.N.D.I.A. bloc won 49 out of the 90 seats, thereby forming the government. The NC won 42 seats, with I.N.D.I.A. allies Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M) bagging 6 and 1 seat(s) respectively.
NC leader Omar Abdullah was sworn in as the Chief Minster of the UT on October 16.
Haryana Assembly Elections
Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Voting in all the 90 constituencies for the Haryana Assembly elections took place on October 5, 2024, while the results were announced on October 8, 2024.
Despite most of the exit polls predicting a victory for the Congress, the BJP sprung up a surprise by securing majority after winning 48 out of the 90 seats, while Congress ended up with just 37 seats.
As a result, BJP's Nayab Singh Saini continued his stint as the Chief Minister of the state.
Jharkhand Assembly Elections
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
Credit: PTI File Photo
The Jharkhand Assembly elections were conducted in two phases - on November 13 and November 20, 2024, with the results of the same being declared on November 24, 2024.
The I.N.D.I.A. bloc, spearheaded by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), won 56 seats out of the total of 81 on offer, with JMM clinching 34 seats. The BJP, on the contrary, won 21 constituencies.
JMM chief Hemant Soren took charge as the Chief Minister of the state.
Maharashtra Assembly Elections
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis.
Credit: PTI File Photo
All 288 seats in the state legislative assembly of Maharashtra were elected in a single phase of polling on November 20, 2024.
The counting of votes were conducted and results were announced on November 24, 2024, along with that of Jharkhand.
The ruling Maha Yuti alliance won a whopping 233 seats out of the 288, with the three major constituents of the alliance - BJP, Shiv Sena, and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), winning 132, 57, and 41 seats respectively. Meanwhile, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), led by the Congress, NCP(SP), and Shiv Sena (UBT), managed to win only 49 seats.
After much ado, the Maha Yuti dispensation appointed BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, who took over the reigns from Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde.