LS elections 2024: 8,360 candidates in fray

New Delhi: A total of 8,360 candidates are contesting the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, the highest since 1996, according to an analysis of official data.

In the 2019 polls, there were 8,039 candidates, and in 1996, a record 13,952 candidates were in the fray for 543 seats of the Lower House of Parliament.

The 2024 general elections are being held in seven phases, with five rounds of polling completed. The sixth and last rounds will be held on May 25 and June 1, respectively. Counting of votes will be taken up on June 4.

The fourth phase of the elections held on May 13 had the highest number of candidates in the fray, 1,717 in 96 parliamentary constituencies in 10 states and Union Territories (UTs). The first phase held on April 19 had 1,625 candidates in 102 constituencies in 21 states and UTs, according to Election Commission (EC) data.

There were 1,198 candidates in the second phase on April 26 in 89 constituencies across 13 states and UTs, 1,352 candidates in the third phase on May 7 in 94 constituencies in 12 states and UTs and 695 candidates in the fifth phase on May 20 in 49 constituencies across eight states and UTs.

In the upcoming sixth and seven phases on May 25 and June 1, there are 869 and 904 candidates, according to the EC data. Fifty-seven constituencies are going to polls in seven and eight states and UTs on May 25 and June 1, respectively.

The number of candidates contesting the Lok Sabha polls has seen a rise of over four times from 1,874 in 1952 -- the first time elections were held -- to 8,360 in 2024, and the average number of candidates per constituency has increased from 4.67 to 15.39 on an average, according to official data.

There used to be only around three to five contestants per Lok Sabha seats on an average till as late as the sixth Lok Sabha elections in 1977 but in the previous elections 14.8 candidates contested per constituency across the country.

There has been a marked increase in the total number of candidates contesting the elections over the years.

While in 1952 there were 1,874 candidates for 489 seats with an average of 3.83 contestants per constituency, the number steadily increased to 2,784 candidates in 1971 with an average of 5.37 per constituency, according to official data.

In 1977, 2,439 candidates contested and average candidates per constituency stood at 4.5.

The 1980 elections saw an increase in the number of candidates to 4,629 with an average of 8.54 per seat, the data showed.