DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who cast his vote from Ahmedabad constituency on Tuesday, encouraged citizens to participate in the third phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections by voting in record numbers.
PM Modi said that their active involvement would enhance the vibrancy of the electoral process. The PM shared this message on X in multiple languages, including Bengali, Assamese, Kannada, Gujarati, Marathi, and Hindi.
"Urging all those who are voting in today's phase to vote in record numbers. Their active participation will certainly make the elections more vibrant," Modi said in a post on X
."Today is voting for 3rd phase of the Lok Sabha Election 2024. I appeal to countrymen that they should vote in large numbers. In a democracy, 'MatDaan' is not a routine exercise. There is great importance of 'Daan' in our country and in the same spirit, the countrymen should vote as much as possible. 4 rounds of voting are still ahead. As a voter in Gujarat, this is the only place where I vote regularly and Amit Bhai is contesting from here as a Bharatiya Janata Party candidate. Last night, I arrived here from Andhra. I am here in Gujarat, and then I have to go to Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Telangana too. I won't be able to speak much but I want to thank the Gujarat voters and countrymen who cast their votes with great enthusiasm," PM Modi said to reporters after voting.
He further said that the elections are held in 64 countries and there should be a comparison of all of them.
"India's election process and election management are examples for the world's democracies to learn from. The world's biggest universities should do a case study. There are elections in around 64 countries and there should be a comparison of all of them. This year is like a celebration of democracy. All the media friends in India have more than 900 TV channels. There are more than 5,000 daily newspapers and they are completely coloured in the colours of elections. I again tell the countrymen to vote in large numbers and celebrate the festival of democracy," he said.
The third phase of the election involves 93 constituencies across 11 states and Union territories. Over 1,300 candidates, including approximately 120 women, are vying for seats in this phase. Notable contenders include Union ministers Amit Shah (Gandhinagar), Jyotiraditya Scindia (Guna), Mansukh Mandaviya (Porbandar), Parshottam Rupala (Rajkot), Pralhad Joshi (Dharwad), and S P Singh Baghel (Agra).
A total of 17.24 crore individuals, with 8.39 crore being women, are eligible to exercise their right to vote in this phase. To facilitate the voting process, 1.85 lakh polling stations have been established, staffed by 18.5 lakh officials to ensure smooth conduct of the elections.