Lok Sabha

Given below are the qualification requirements to become a member of Lok Sabha: 

1. To be eligible, individuals must be Indian citizens and must take an oath or affirmation before the Election Commission of India as per the prescribed format in the Third Schedule of the Indian Constitution. 
2.  They must be at least 25 years old and possess any other qualifications specified by Parliament.  
3. They should not have a criminal record, meaning they should not be convicted, declared insolvent, or disqualified by law.  
4. Their name must be listed in the electoral rolls in any part of the country. 

Powers and Functions of Lok Sabha 

The powers and functions of Lok Sabha are given below: 

1. The Parliament in India, like in other parliamentary democracies, performs several essential functions: 

1. Legislation 
2. Oversight of administration 
3. Passing of the Budget 

1. Addressing public grievances 
2. Discussion on various topics such as development plans, national policies, and international relations 

1. The Constitution distributes powers between the Union and the States, highlighting the general predominance of Parliament in the legislative domain. 
2. Even in normal circumstances, Parliament can assume legislative authority over subjects exclusively reserved for the States, under certain conditions. 
3. Parliament holds the authority to impeach the President and remove judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts, the Chief Election Commissioner, and the Comptroller and Auditor General, as per the Constitution's provisions. 
4. All legislation necessitates the consent of both Houses of Parliament, except for money bills, where the Lok Sabha's decision prevails. 
5. Parliament also exercises review and control over delegated legislation. 
6. Additionally, Parliament has the power to initiate amendments to the Constitution. 

Lok Sabha Elections 2024 

General elections are scheduled to take place in India from 19th April 2024 to 1st June 2024 to elect the 543 members of the 18th Lok Sabha. These elections will be conducted in seven phases, and the results are set to be announced on 4th June 2024. This election is anticipated to be the largest-ever in Indian history, surpassing the 2019 Indian general election, spanning a duration of 44 days, which is second only to the 1951–52 Indian general election. Incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi, having completed a second term, is vying for a third consecutive term. 

Approximately 970 million individuals, out of a population of 1.44 billion, are eligible to participate in the elections.  

Also, legislative assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Sikkim will be held simultaneously with the general election, along with by-elections for 35 seats across 16 states. 

How many stages will there be in the electoral process? 

Following the pattern set in 2019, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to organize the 2024 General Elections in seven phases, aligning with the shorter timeframe observed in the preceding election cycles. Starting from April 19 and concluding on June 1, the elections will be conducted over these seven phases, consistent with the strategy adopted in 2019. 

Phase 1 – 19 April  

1. Arunachal Pradesh 
2. Assam 
3. Bihar 

1. Chhattisgarh 
2. Madhya Pradesh 
3. Maharashtra 
4. Manipur 
5. Meghalaya 
6. Mizoram 
7. Nagaland 
8. Rajasthan 
9. Sikkim 
10. Tamil Nadu 
11. Tripura 
12. Uttar Pradesh 
13. Uttarakhand 
14. West Bengal 
15. Andaman and Nicobar Islands 
16. Jammu and Kashmir 
17. Lakshadweep 
18. Puducherry 

Phase 2 – 26 April  

1. Assam 

1. Bihar 
2. Chhattisgarh 
3. Karnataka 
4. Kerala 
5. Madhya Pradesh 
6. Maharashtra 
7. Manipur 
8. Rajasthan 
9. Tripura 
10. Uttar Pradesh 
11. West Bengal 
12. Jammu and Kashmir 

Phase 3 – 7 May  

1. Assam 
2. Bihar 
3. Chhattisgarh 
4. Goa 
5. Gujarat 
6. Karnataka 
7. Madhya Pradesh 

1. Maharashtra 
2. Uttar Pradesh 
3. West Bengal 
4. Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu 
5. Jammu and Kashmir 

Phase 4 – 13 May  

1. Andhra Pradesh 
2. Bihar 
3. Jharkhand 
4. Madhya Pradesh 
5. Maharashtra 
6. Odisha 
7. Telangana 
8. Uttar Pradesh 
9. West Bengal 
10. Jammu and Kashmir 

Phase 5 – 20 May  

1. Bihar 

1. Jharkhand 
2. Maharashtra 
3. Odisha 
4. Uttar Pradesh 
5. West Bengal 
6. Jammu and Kashmir 
7. Ladakh 

Phase 6- 25 May  

1. Bihar 
2. Haryana 
3. Jharkhand 
4. Odisha 
5. Uttar Pradesh 
6. West Bengal 
7. NCT of Delhi 

Phase 7 – 1 June  

1. Bihar 
2. Himachal Pradesh 
3. Jharkhand 
4. Odisha 

1. Punjab 
2. Uttar Pradesh 
3. West Bengal 
4. Chandigarh 

Lok Sabha elections schedule 

The schedule for Lok Sabha elections is given below: 

System of elections in Lok Sabha 

Members of the Lok Sabha are elected directly by the citizens of India through universal suffrage. Elections to the Lok Sabha are conducted on a territorial basis, with each state divided into constituencies. This division is governed by two provisions of the Constitution: 

1. Allotment of Seats: States are allocated seats in the Lok Sabha in a manner that aims to maintain a close uniform ratio between the number of seats and the state's population. However, this provision does not apply to states with a population of less than 6 million. The number of seats allotted to each state has been fixed since the constitutional amendment of 1976. 
2. Territorial Constituencies: Each state is further divided into territorial constituencies to ensure that the ratio between the population of each constituency and the number of seats allocated to it remains consistent throughout the state. This principle is upheld through periodic boundary reviews.