India’s Lok Sabha election to US presidential poll: What to expect in 2024

The year 2024 will see multiple elections worldwide- from choosing prime ministers, presidents, and their administrations, and also heads of parliaments, and international agencies. In the run-up to these elections, there have been discussions of the top contenders, their stronghold constituencies, the public’s mood, and result predictions. A victory in any of these elections would change the course of global politics, trade, diplomacy, and security.

The most important elections to look out for are the general elections in India, South Africa, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. The presidential elections that will grab headlines in 2024 include those in the United States, Russia, Croatia, Finland, Georgia, and Azerbaijan.

Also in 2024, elections will be held for the European Parliament and the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

Here’s a look at the most important elections:

The general election in India is expected to be held between April and May 2024 to elect 543 members of the Lok Sabha- Parliament’s lower house. The tenure of the 17th Lok Sabha will end on June 16. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is seeking a third consecutive victory in the general elections.

The right-wing ruling party will be in a battle with the recently formed INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) alliance- a group of 28 opposition parties including the Congress, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Recently, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee proposed Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s name as a prime ministerial candidate. The BJP and its allies have not declared a PM face yet. 

The presidential election in the US is expected to be held in November. The top contenders are current President Joe Biden and Republican veteran and former president Donald Trump. Other top candidates in the race include Republicans Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, Chris Christie, and William Asa Hutchinson; and Democrats Marianne Williamson and Dean Phillips. The independents include John F Kennedy’s nephew Robert, Cornel West, and Jill Stein. Though Donald Trump is emerging as the favourable choice among Americans, the 77-year-old is facing the legal system’s heat in four separate criminal cases.

Economic crisis-hit Pakistan will vote for a general election in early February, and a presidential election the next month. Top parties in the fray are the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif from the PML-N, who came back to Pakistan in October after four years in exile, will contest the February election.

Sharif is the longest-serving PM of Pakistan, having served in the top post for three non-consecutive terms. He is bidding for a fourth premiership but faces the biggest challenge from his main rival and former PM Imran Khan- who, despite being in jail for graft, remains popular following his ouster as PM in 2022.

Reports have emerged that the son of UN-designated terrorist and 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed will be contesting the election.

Russia and Ukraine, which have been fighting a war since late February 2022, will be holding their presidential election in 2024. Russian President Vladimir Putin will be running for president again, a decision allowing him to extend his decades-long grip on power. The presidential election in Russia will be held on March 17. 

Ukraine is supposed to hold a presidential vote in March. However, the Volodymyr Zelensky government enacted martial law in response to the Russian offensive on Feb 24, 2022 due to whihc the country cannot hold elections. On Nov 3, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that President Zelensky was weighing the pros and cons of the election. 

“We are not closing this page. The president of Ukraine is considering and weighing the different pros and cons,” Foreign Minister Kuleba told Reuters, adding that elections would bring unprecedented challenges.

The general election in Bangladesh will be held on Jan 7. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is eyeing another term with a 14-party alliance led by her Awami League (AL). In 2023, the country saw violent protests by opposition parties demanding the resignation of Hasina and for a caretaker government. Many people died in the protests and thousands of opposition leaders and activists were arrested. 

The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), whose top leadership is either jailed or in exile, previously said that it would boycott the election if Hasina did not step down, Reuters reported.

(With inputs from agencies)