The Indian Electoral Commission has announced the India election timetable.
It will take place from the 11thof April to the 19thMay 2019.
It is significant not just for India, but for the entire world. This election will be the biggest the world has ever seen. 900 Million, over the age of 18, eligible voters. They will cast their votes in over a million polling stations right across the country. Not for India, the low levels of turn-out that we see in other countries, including the UK. In 2014 it was 66% up from 45% for the first elections in 1951.
The list of candidates will also be big. Whilst they have not been finalised yet, in 2014 there were more that 8,250 – expect this to increases significantly in 2019.
It will also cost a lot of money, a huge amount of money…candidates spent around $5Bn in 2014.
Women may hold the balance of power in 2019. More women are expected to vote than men…
The big question is will Mr Modi led his BJP party to another victory? In 2014 it was epic and historic, the first time since 1984 a party in India had won an absolute majority in a general election.
That’s the wonderful thing about democracy…anything can happen. In politics it’s a long time till the 11thof April.
To celebrate the India elections I will be periodically posting, from now until the results, some of the insights from our BrandZ Top 75 Most Valuable Indian brands…Some contextual insights that might help you navigate the enigma that is the magical India.