2024 Indian general election: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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== Issues ==

=== Unemployment ===

The issue of unemployment has been a major problem for the Indian economy, especially affecting the youth.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=India’s Narendra Modi has a problem: high economic growth but few jobs |url=https://www.ft.com/content/6886014f-e4cd-493c-986b-1da2cfc8cdf2 |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=[[Financial Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hall |first=Ian |date=2024-03-17 |title=Narendra Modi’s economy isn’t booming for India’s unemployed youth. So, why is his party favoured to win another election? |url=http://theconversation.com/narendra-modis-economy-isnt-booming-for-indias-unemployed-youth-so-why-is-his-party-favoured-to-win-another-election-224868 |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=The Conversation |language=en-US}}</ref> Unemployment in India has been at a 45-year old high.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-05-31 |title=Unemployment rate at 45-year high, confirms Labour Ministry data |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/unemployment-rate-at-45-year-high-joblessness-at-6-1-of-labour-force-5759095/ |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref> According to a 2022 [[World Bank]] report, India's youth unemployment rate stood at 23.2%,<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-03-03 |title=Rahul Gandhi says India's unemployment rate is double that of Pakistan |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/rahul-gandhi-claims-indias-unemployment-rate-is-double-that-of-pakistan/articleshow/108182321.cms |access-date=2024-03-23 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> whereas the national unemployment hovered around 7%.<ref name=":6" /> From 2017-18, 52% of workers were self-employed, forced to create their own jobs to sustain themselves. During the same year, around 90% of workers were employed in the informal sector, which is characterised by low productivity.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-04-10 |title=India's workforce woes |url=https://eastasiaforum.org/2023/04/10/indias-workforce-woes/ |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=East Asia Forum}}</ref> In 2023, 42.3% of graduates were unemployed, showing the lack of job growth needed to accommodate the increasing workforce.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-21 |title=42.3% of graduates under 25 unemployed, finds latest State of Working India report |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/business/42-3-of-graduates-under-25-unemployed-finds-latest-state-of-working-india-report-8949124/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>

As such, unemployment has taken a centre stage in the election campaigns, with the opposition [[Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance]] banking on rising unemployment and inflation to criticise the BJP government's handling of the Indian economy.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-21 |title=42.3% of graduates under 25 unemployed, finds latest State of Working India report |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/business/42-3-of-graduates-under-25-unemployed-finds-latest-state-of-working-india-report-8949124/ |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>

As a part of its separate youth manifesto, the [[Indian National Congress|Congress]]-led INDIA bloc promised to fill in the 3 million vacancies in government jobs and bring in the "Right to Apprenticeship", in which any diploma and degree holder up to the age of 25 can demand employment for one year and they will get a one-year salary of ₹100,000 for the term of the job.<ref name=":7">{{Cite news |date=2024-03-07 |title=30 lakh govt jobs, Rs 5,000cr fund for startups: Congress unveils youth-centric manifesto |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/lok-sabha-polls-congress-vows-30-lakh-govt-jobs-laws-on-paper-leaks-in-youth-manifesto/articleshow/108296814.cms |access-date=2024-03-07 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257 |archive-date=7 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240307104204/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/lok-sabha-polls-congress-vows-30-lakh-govt-jobs-laws-on-paper-leaks-in-youth-manifesto/articleshow/108296814.cms |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Democratic backsliding ===

Since the victory of the [[Hindu nationalism|Hindu nationalist]] [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] in the [[2014 Indian general election]] and the election of [[Narendra Modi]] to prime minister, India has experienced severe democratic backsliding.<ref name="COVID">{{cite web |author=Edge |first=Amanda B |date=30 June 2020 |title=An Update on Pandemic Backsliding: Democracy Four Months After the Beginning of the Covid-19 Pandemic |url=https://www.v-dem.net/media/filer_public/b9/2e/b92e59da-2a06-4d2e-82a1-b0a8dece4af7/v-dem_policybrief-24_update-pandemic-backsliding_200702.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201217082732/https://www.v-dem.net/media/filer_public/b9/2e/b92e59da-2a06-4d2e-82a1-b0a8dece4af7/v-dem_policybrief-24_update-pandemic-backsliding_200702.pdf |archive-date=17 December 2020 |access-date=25 January 2021 |work=Policy Brief #24 |publisher=[[V-Dem Institute]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-06-09 |title=India's Backsliding Democracy |url=https://www.americanprogress.org/events/indias-backsliding-democracy/ |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=[[Center for American Progress]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-04-20 |title=India’s democratic backsliding |url=https://www.ft.com/content/6c98e1aa-85da-4738-b889-fc4d76d1d0bc |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=[[Financial Times]]}}</ref> India has slipped from 7.94 on the [[The Economist Democracy Index|democracy index]] in 2014 to 6.91 in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |title=India: democracy index 2022 |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/1381364/democracy-index-india/ |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=Statista |language=en}}</ref> Almost all democracy watchdogs now classify India as a [[hybrid regime]].<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Tudor |first=Maya |title=Why India’s Democracy Is Dying |url=https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/articles/why-indias-democracy-is-dying/ |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=Journal of Democracy |language=en-US}}</ref> [[Freedom House]] dropped India's rating from "Free" to the "Partly Free" category in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Democracy under Siege |url=https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2021/democracy-under-siege |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=Freedom House |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":8" /> The same year, the [[V-Dem Institute]] dropped India to an "[[electoral autocracy]]" from earlier an electoral democracy.<ref name=":8" />

The [[World Press Freedom Index|Press Freedom ranking]] of India has also dropped from 140 in 2014 to 161 in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |title=India: Press Freedom Ranking 2023 |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/1364514/india-press-freedom-ranking/ |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=Statista |language=en}}</ref> According to V-Dem, "In general, the Modi-led government in India has used laws on sedition, defamation, and counterterrorism to silence critics."<ref>Pillai, Shreeya and Lindberg, Staffan I. (2021) "Democracy Broken Down: India" in ''Democracy Report 2021: Autocratization Turns Viral'' pp.20–21. [[V-Dem Institute]]</ref> In 2023, it referred to India as "one of the worst autocratisers in the last 10 years".<ref>{{cite news |date=7 March 2023 |title=India Is 'One of the Worst Autocratisers in the Last 10 Years,' Says 2023 V-Dem Report |url=https://thewire.in/rights/india-autocratiser-v-dem-report-2023 |work=The Wire}}</ref> In response to the drop in democratic ratings, the [[Government of India]] in March 2024, in coordination with the [[Observer Research Foundation]] announced to release its own ratings index within a few weeks.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Modi’s India plans its own democracy index, after global rankings downgrade |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/21/modis-india-plans-its-own-democracy-index-after-global-rankings-downgrade |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref>

===Hindu nationalism===

==== Islamophobia ====

The rise of [[Hindu nationalism]] since the victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) the [[2014 Indian general election]] has coincided with a phenomenal rise in [[Islamophobia]] in the country.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sen |first=Somdeep |title=Analysis: Islamophobia is the norm in Modi’s India |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2022/6/10/analysis-islamophobia-is-the-norm-in-modis-india |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Affairs |first=Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World |title=India and the Rise of Islamophobia |url=https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/events/india-and-the-rise-of-islamophobia |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=[[Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-06-28 |title=India: Hate crimes against Muslims and rising Islamophobia must be condemned |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/press-release/2017/06/india-hate-crimes-against-muslims-and-rising-islamophobia-must-be-condemned/ |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=Amnesty International |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-14 |title=Access Asia - Rising Islamophobia in India: How Modi's BJP is spreading anti-Muslim sentiment |url=https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/access-asia/20220614-rising-islamophobia-in-india-how-modi-s-bjp-is-spreading-anti-muslim-sentiment |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=France 24 |language=en}}</ref> In 2023, India averaged two anti-Muslim hate speeches a day, with 75% of them taking place in BJP ruled states.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharma |first=Yashraj |title=Hamas to halal: How anti-Muslim hate speech is spreading in India |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/26/hamas-to-halal-how-anti-muslim-hate-speech-is-spreading-in-india |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref> Cow vigilantes have attacked and lynched throughout the country, much to the discretion of the authorities.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gupta |first=Helen Regan,Swati |date=2019-02-21 |title=‘Cow vigilante’ violence ignored by Indian authorities: report |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/20/asia/india-cow-vigilante-hrw-report-intl/index.html |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> The BJP government had brought in the [[Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019]] which would give non-Muslim immigrants citizenship rights, while effective rendering Muslim immigrants stateless. The CAA has been dubbed 'fundamentally discriminatory' by the [[United Nations]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Kanishka |date=2024-03-13 |title=US, UN express concern about India's religion-based citizenship law |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us-un-express-concern-about-indias-religion-based-citizenship-law-2024-03-12/ |archive-url= |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=[[Reuters]]}}</ref>

==== Ram Mandir consecration ceremony ====

The BJP prepared a pamphlet for the Ram Mandir Inauguration Programmes to connect with families across the nation. After the [[consecration of the Ram Mandir]] in [[Ayodhya]], a new era of [[Hindu nationalism|Hindu nationalistic sentiments]] have dominated the [[Politics of India|political sphere in India]].<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=India's Narendra Modi rides Hindu nationalism wave in Ayodhya temple opening |url=https://www.ft.com/content/77258247-4db0-45d8-acae-5c6644f46c78 |access-date=2024-02-26 |website=Financial Times |archive-date=26 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240226145943/https://www.ft.com/content/77258247-4db0-45d8-acae-5c6644f46c78 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-11-15 |title=How temple movement helped BJP |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/how-temple-movement-helped-bjp/story-VXQd0EgOAwvY4RStFndbVN.html |access-date=2024-03-22 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref> Modi kept a long-standing political pledge of the reconstruction of Ram Mandir and was seen to have fulfilled the BJP's manifesto to the nation's Hindu population.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-11-15 |title=How temple movement helped BJP |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/how-temple-movement-helped-bjp/story-VXQd0EgOAwvY4RStFndbVN.html |access-date=2024-03-22 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref> The Hindu nationalist ideology of Modi and the BJP has also garnered substantial support from Hindu community members.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Choudhury |first=Suvolaxmi Dutta Choudhury, Suvolaxmi Dutta |title=Temple Opening Raises Ruling Party’s Stock Before Indian Election |url=https://www.asiapacific.ca/publication/temple-inauguration-raises-ruling-partys-stock-before-elections |access-date=2024-03-22 |website=Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Basak |first=Sanjay |date=2023-10-25 |title=Ram Mandir Takes Center Stage for Saffron Victory |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/politics/251023/ram-mandir-election-strategy.html |access-date=2024-03-22 |website=www.deccanchronicle.com |language=en}}</ref> At the same time, [[Bollywood]] productions have been released with themes supporting the Modi government's policies and Hindu nationalist ideologies.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Saaliq |first=Sheikh |date=2024-03-22 |title=As India’s election nears, some Bollywood films promote Modi politics by embracing Hindu nationalism |url=https://apnews.com/article/india-general-elections-2024-bollywood-modi-nationalism-2aea78fec4324d805d74ddc2bff9f633 |access-date=2024-03-22 |website=Associated Press |language=en}}</ref>

A major controversy was stirred when the opposition Congress Party and its leaders declined an invitation to the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony, saying that the event was politicised into a 'BJP-RSS event'.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-01-10 |title=Congress will not attend Ram Mandir inauguration, calls it 'BJP-RSS event' |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/congress-will-not-attend-ram-mandir-inauguration-calls-it-bjp-rss-event/articleshow/106698316.cms |access-date=2024-03-23 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> Assam chief minister [[Himanta Biswa Sarma]] said that the invitation was an opportunity for the Congress to 'reduce its sin', and that history would continue to judge it 'anti-Hindu'.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-01-11 |title=Ayodhya temple invite: Congress will continue to be judged 'anti-Hindu', says Himanta |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/ayodhya-temple-invite-congress-will-continue-to-be-judged-anti-hindu-says-himanta/articleshow/106733074.cms |access-date=2024-03-23 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> The four [[Shankaracharya|Shankaracharyas]] also declined attending the event, stating that the ceremony was politicised as a campaign event at the half-built temple.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NDTV Explains: Shankaracharyas "Won't Attend" Ram Temple Event, What Do They Say? |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/ram-temple-ayodhya-shankaracharyas-to-skip-ndtv-explains-two-shankaracharyas-wont-attend-ram-temple-event-what-do-they-say-4865713 |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=NDTV.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Shankaracharya Raises Concerns Over New Ram Lalla Idol Placement and Unfinished Temple Construction |url=https://thewire.in/religion/shankaracharya-raises-concerns-over-new-ram-lalla-idol-placement-and-unfinished-temple-construction |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=The Wire}}</ref>

===Electoral Bonds===

On 15 February 2024, the [[Supreme Court of India]] ruled that the [[Electoral Bond]] system of campaign financing that was introduced by the Modi government in 2017 and allowed individuals and companies to donate money to political parties anonymously and without limits was unconstitutional, saying that the process allowed donors to assert "influence over policymaking".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ban on India’s electoral bonds: How will it affect 2024 election? |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/16/check-on-quid-pro-quo-will-indias-electoral-bonds-ban-hurt-modi |access-date=2024-03-21 |website=Al Jazeera }}</ref> On 18 March, the court ordered the [[State Bank of India]] to provide all records regarding the electoral bonds to the Election Commission of India by 21 March in order to match electoral donors with their recipients and rejected a plea by the [[Confederation of Indian Industry]], the [[Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry]], and the [[Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India]] from divulging the identities of donors. Initial reports suggest that among the leading donors to political parties were some of India's largest firms such as [[Vedanta Limited]], [[Bharti Airtel]], [[RPSG Group]] and Essel Mining. It also found that the BJP was the recipient of nearly half of all recorded donations,<ref>{{Cite web |title=India bank ordered to share electoral bonds data linking donors, recipients |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/18/india-bank-ordered-to-share-electoral-bonds-data-linking-donors-recipients |access-date=2024-03-21 |website=Al Jazeera|date=March 18, 2024}}</ref> estimated at about $730 million.<ref name="frozen2" />

In total, the top five political parties in terms of electoral bonds received are the BJP, which received Rs 6,060.5 crore, the [[All India Trinamool Congress]] (TMC), which received Rs 1,609.5 crore, the Congress Party, with Rs 1,421.8 crore, the [[Bharat Rashtra Samithi]] (BRS), which received Rs 1,214.7 crore, and the [[Biju Janata Dal]] (BJD), which received Rs 775.5 crore.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Benu |first=Sindhu Hariharan & Parvathi |date=2024-03-21 |title=Electoral Bond Donations: MEIL Tops BJP Funding |url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/data-stories/data-focus/electoral-bond-donations-megha-engineering-bjps-biggest-donor-future-gaming-paid-big-to-tmc/article67977456.ece |access-date=2024-03-22 |website=BusinessLine |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Top Five Political Parties Saw Electoral Bonds Fortunes Turning With Election Wins and Losses |url=https://thewire.in/politics/top-five-political-parties-saw-electoral-bonds-fortunes-turning-with-election-wins-and-losses |access-date=2024-03-22 |website=The Wire}}</ref>

===Congress Party fund predicament ===

On 16 February 2024, the [[Income Tax Department]] ordered the freezing of bank accounts by the Congress Party containing 2.1 billion rupees ($25.3 million) as part of an ongoing legal dispute.<ref name="frozen25m">{{Cite web |title=India’s Congress says $25m frozen by tax department ahead of election |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/16/indias-congress-says-25m-funds-frozen-by-tax-department-ahead-of-election |access-date=2024-03-21 |website=Al Jazeera }}</ref> The Congress Party's treasurer [[Ajay Maken]] later added that tax authorities imposed a 2.1-billion rupee ($25 million) lien on 13 February, “virtually sealed” its bank accounts and confiscated 1.1 billion rupees ($14 million). The party's leader [[Rahul Gandhi]] complained that the restrictions had rendered the party unable to campaign properly, adding that “Our entire financial identity has been erased.” Gandhi also accused Modi and Home Minister [[Amit Shah]] of conducting a "criminal action" against the party, which the BJP denied. His mother and former Congress leader [[Sonia Gandhi]] also described the tax issues as “part of the systemic efforts to cripple” the party. An appeal is currently pending in the Supreme Court.<ref name="frozen2">{{Cite web |title=India’s Congress party accuses government of freezing accounts before polls |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/21/indias-congress-party-accuses-government-of-freezing-accounts-before-polls |access-date=2024-03-21 |website=Al Jazeera }}</ref>

According to the Income Tax Department's official sources, it has recovered Rs 135 crore from the Congress for breaking the legislation exempting political parties from paying taxes, rather than freezing the party's bank accounts as the opposition party had claimed.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-03-21 |title=Cong's accounts not frozen, recovery of Rs 135 cr made; more transactions under scrutiny: Officials |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/elections/lok-sabha/india/congs-accounts-not-frozen-recovery-of-rs-135-cr-made-more-transactions-under-scrutiny-officials/articleshow/108685200.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2024-03-22 |work=The Economic Times |issn=0013-0389}}</ref>

===Investigations into other opposition politicians===

The election period also coincided with investigations by authorities into state officials belonging to opposition parties, such as [[Delhi]] Chief Minister and [[Aam Aadmi Party]] leader [[Arvind Kejriwal]], who is under investigation for alleged corruption in the [[Delhi liquor scam|allocation of liquor licences]], and [[Jharkhand]] Chief Minister [[Hemant Soren]], who was arrested in February 2024 for allegedly facilitating an illegal land sale. The [[Enforcement Directorate]] is also investigating four chief ministers not allied with the BJP on various charges, while investigations have been closed on former opposition politicians who have since joined the BJP. [[Hartosh Singh Bal]], a journalist for the current affairs magazine ''[[The Caravan]]'' told [[Agence France-Presse]] that the move by government agencies indicated their behavior as “handmaidens of the ruling party to cow down the political opposition”.<ref name="frozen25m" />

The government under the BJP has been known to use [[Enforcement Directorate]] raids to target politicians from the opposition critical of the BJP government, with 95% of cases registered being against opposition leaders.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-07-27 |title=Enforcement Directorate: The Rise And Rise Of 'ED Sarkar' |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230901113946/https://www.outlookindia.com/national/enforcement-directorate-the-rise-and-rise-of-ed-sarkar--news-212317 |archive-date=2023-09-01 |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=Outlook India |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Does the All-Powerful Enforcement Directorate Have a Director? |url=https://thewire.in/government/does-the-all-powerful-enforcement-directorate-have-a-director |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=The Wire}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Anand |first=Dibyesh |last2=Kaul |first2=Nitasha |date=2023-04-14 |title=India: Rahul Gandhi’s defamation trial highlights drift away from democracy under Narendra Modi |url=http://theconversation.com/india-rahul-gandhis-defamation-trial-highlights-drift-away-from-democracy-under-narendra-modi-203852 |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=The Conversation |language=en-US}}</ref>

Following Kejriwal's arrest on 21 March over the liquor license scam charges, The Delhi finance minister [[Atishi Singh]] accused the BJP of orchestrating a "political conspiracy" against Kejriwal.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Indian opposition leader Arvind Kejriwal arrested over corruption claims |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/21/india-capitals-chief-minister-arrested-over-graft-probe-ahead-of-elections|access-date=2024-03-22 |website=Al Jazeera }}</ref> His arrest also led to clashes between party leaders, supporters and police on 22 March.<ref>{{Cite web |title=A Modi rival is arrested. Now, supporters of the opposition leader are protesting in India’s capital |url=https://apnews.com/article/arvind-kejriwal-new-delhi-india-election-3227e705b58b3925a78e4517b2a30572 |access-date=2024-03-22 |website=Associated Press}}</ref>

Congress leader [[Rahul Gandhi]], reacting to Kejriwal's arrest, said that a "scared leader" wants to create a "dead democracy", without naming anyone.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-03-21 |title=Rahul Gandhi's first reaction after Arvind Kejriwal's arrest: 'Scared dictator wants to create a dead democracy' |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/rahul-gandhis-first-reaction-after-kejriwals-arrest-scared-dictator-wants-to-create-a-dead-democracy-101711039757573.html |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref>

==Party campaigns==

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==== Indian National Congress ====

The Indian National Congress released its first list of 39 candidates on 8 March.<ref name=":3" /> A second list of 43 candidates was released on 13 March,<ref name=":4" /> while its third list of 56 candidates was announced on 22 March.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=India's Narendra Modi rides Hindu nationalism wave in Ayodhya temple opening |url=https://www.ft.com/content/77258247-4db0-45d8-acae-5c6644f46c78 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240226145943/https://www.ft.com/content/77258247-4db0-45d8-acae-5c6644f46c78 |archive-date=26 February 2024 |access-date=2024-02-26 |website=Financial Times}}</ref>

==== All India Trinamool Congress ====