With the Election Commission gearing up for the
17th Lok Sabha election, which will be held in seven phases across the country, political parties and voters have shifted in the election mode.
Almost 90 crore eligible voters will cast their votes to elect their preferred candidates, out of which 1.5 crore individuals will vote for the first time.
Since the independence, political parties in India have grown many folds. In 2014, the total number of parties stood at 475.
In September 2013, the Supreme Court of India upheld the voters'right to reject all the candidates up for polls. A special section at the end of the electronic voting machine (EVM) was introduced, titled 'NOTA'
or 'None Of The Above.' However, the symbol for NOTA was first introduced in 2015.
First Published: Mar 18, 2019 1:50 PM IST
