EC: 54 in '51 to 743 in 2024, number of political parties sees 15-fold jump

THERE has been a 15-fold increase in the number of political parties (from 54 in 1951-52 to 743 in 2024) contesting in general elections and a five times increase in the number of contesting candidates from 1,874 in 1951-52 to 8,360 in 2024, revealed the data released by the Election Commission on Tuesday.

- Mukesh Ranjan @ New Delhi

In a statement, the poll panel said, "In the first General Election of 1951, there were only 1.96 lakh polling stations, but by 2024, this number had surged to 10.53 lakh polling stations, a testament to the commission's relentless efforts to ensure that no voter is left behind."

It went on to add that the electorate base has grown exponentially, as in the first Lok Sabha elections, the number of electors stood at 17.32 crore, whereas, in 2024, the electorate swelled to over 97 crores.