A TOTAL of 642 million Indians voted in the just-concluded six-week-long polls, chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar told reporters on Monday (3), with prime minister Narendra Modi widely expected to win a third term.
"We have created a world record of 642 million Indian voters, it is a historic moment for all of us," Kumar said, adding that nearly half of those -- 312 million -- were women voters.
"It shows the incredible power of voters of India," he said.
"People should know about the strength of Indian democracy."
Based on the commission's figure of an electorate of 968 million, 66.3 percent of eligible voters turned out, slightly down on the last general election in 2019.
Read: Most exit polls predict PM Modi's win in 2024 elections
Kumar said that "642 million voters chose action over apathy, belief over cynicism and in some cases, the ballot over the bullet", the commission said, with the commissioner adding that there were "no major incidents of violence".
Voting in the seventh and final staggered round ended on Saturday, and counting and results are due on Tuesday (4).
Read: Modi's BJP sweeps polls in Arunachal Pradesh bordering China
Exit polls show Modi is well on track to triumph, with the premier saying he was confident that "the people of India have voted in record numbers" to re-elect his government.
India uses electronic voting machines that allow for faster counting of ballots.
"We have a robust counting process in place," Kumar said.
(AFP)
Security personnel inspect the site in the aftermath of an attack as food stall chairs lie empty in Pahalgam, about 90 kilometres (55 miles) from Srinagar on April 23, 2025. Indian security forces in Kashmir carried out a major manhunt on April 23, a day after gunmen opened fire on tourists killing 26 people in the region's deadliest attack on civilians since 2000. Getty Images
Tourists visit Betaab Valley in Pahalgam, about 112 km south of Srinagar on June 26, 2025.Getty Images
Pilgrims gather at the Baltal Base Camp near Domel, en route to the sacred Amarnath cave in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India, on July 29, 2025. The annual Amarnath Yatra, which began on July 3, proceeds under heightened security following a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 25 tourists and a local pony handler. Security forces have been deployed in large numbers across the pilgrimage route, with checkpoints, surveillance, and restrictions in place to safeguard the thousands of devotees undertaking the arduous journey. The Amarnath Yatra is one of the most important Hindu pilgrimages, drawing worshippers from across India to the high-altitude Himalayan shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva. Despite the threat of violence and challenging terrain, pilgrims continue their spiritual trek, determined to complete the sacred journey under the shadow of grief and resilience.Getty Images
