Next Indian general election
Future election for 19th Lok Sabha
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General elections are expected to be held in India by April 2029 to elect 543 members of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament.
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By April 2029
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All TBD seats in the Lok Sabha TBD seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Background
The tenure of the 18th Lok Sabha is scheduled to end in June 2029.[1] In the 2024 Indian general election, incumbent prime minister Narendra Modi ran for a third consecutive term. His Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had enjoyed an absolute majority—a minimum of 272 seats—in the 2014 and 2019 elections. The primary opposition was the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), a coalition formed in 2023 by the Indian National Congress (INC) and many regional parties. The BJP won 240 seats, with the NDA securing 293 of the house's 543 seats.[2] The INDIA coalition secured 234 seats, 99 of which were won by the Congress, garnering the party the official opposition status for the first time in 10 years.[3][4][5] Seven independents and ten candidates from non-aligned parties also won seats in the Lok Sabha.[6][7][8]
Current composition of the Lok Sabha
This table relates to the composition of the Lok Sabha after the 2024 Indian general election and summarises the changes in party affiliation that took place during the 2024–present Lok Sabha.
No. of Lok Sabha MP's party-wise:
- As of 28 March 2026
Delimitation
The next Lok Sabha delimitation in India is due after the first census following the year 2026. According to the 84th Amendment to the Constitution of India, the current freeze on the delimitation of constituencies is set to continue until the results of the first census taken after the year 2026 are published.[9] A Special Session of Parliament will be convened from the 16th of April to 18th of April 2026, to debate on this matter. The 131st Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2026 was brought by the Government to increase the Total seats of the Lok Sabha to an upper limit of 850 seats and to make changes in the Article 334A relating to Women's Reservation, for implementation in 2029. The Delimitation bill was withdrawn by the Government in the Lok Sabha, after the 131st Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2026 failed in the Lok Sabha on 17th April 2026, with 298 votes in favour and 230 votes against it [10]
Women's reservation
The introduction of women's reservation in the Lok Sabha is set to occur after the delimitation exercise based on the census following the year 2026. According to the 106th Amendment Act, 33% of the total seats will be directly allocated to women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.[11]. An Amendment to the Act was brought to the Parliament in the Special Session from 16-18th April, 2026, which had the Women's Reservation delinked from the Delimitation exercise after a census following the lapse of the freeze on allocation of seats in 2026, in order for it to be implemented in 2029 Elections. Being a Constitutional Amendment, the Bill needed Two-thirds majority in both houses, and on 17th April 2026, it failed to pass the Lok Sabha, with 298 votes in favour and 230 votes against the Amendment Bill.[10]
Schedule
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar has indicated that the 2029 elections would be over by the end of April to prevent heat from affecting voter turnout. Until 2004, the general elections were conducted between the cooler months of December and March.[12]
Schedule
| Poll event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification | |
| Deadline for filing nomination | |
| Scrutiny of nominations | |
| Deadline for withdrawal of nomination | |
| Polling | |
| Counting of votes |
Electoral system
MPs are elected from single-member constituencies using first-past-the-post voting. Eligible voters must be Indian citizens, 18 years or older, an ordinary resident of the polling area of the constituency and registered to vote (name included in the electoral rolls), possess a valid voter identification card issued by the Election Commission of India or equivalent. Some people convicted of electoral or other offences are barred from voting. Article 83 of the Constitution of India requires elections to the Lok Sabha be held once every five years.