How India runs the world's biggest election - The Global Story podcast, BBC World Service

India will host the world's biggest election this year when nearly one billion people will vote.

Organisers have vowed to set up polling stations within 2km of every citizen, but India's vast size means this will be a challenge. The country's 15 million election officials must travel to coastal towns, mountain villages, remote islands and dense jungles to reach every voter.

Katya Adler speaks with BBC journalist and presenter Devina Gupta and India correspondent Soutik Biswas to break down the big numbers and discuss how it is possible to organise an election on this scale.

00:06 Introduction
01:45 Nearly a billion voters
03:06 Remote voters
04:41 Staffing the election
05:11 Where most voters are
05:55 First-time voters
06:06 Women voters
06:37 Length of election
07:01 Cost of elections
07:33 Who pays for elections?
09:10 Free and fair?

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[user__]

Britain killed 4 million Indians in Bengal in 1943 by imposing a famine

[AbhishekKumar-tdmr]

INDIA- World Largest Democracy ✅️ INDIA - Mother Of All Democracies ✅️

[anirbanchakravarty]

It's just terrible that the Indian journalists don't know that the Election Commission of India finances the entire election and they get the money from the Contingent Fund of India!
They are talking of electoral bonds. Electoral bonds finance political parties, not the election itself!

[josealexander]

We are proud of the Indian Elections with 970m people who are voting.

[Xuy]

India will remain secular and democracy till peaceful community population below 40% after that no democracy like Pakistan, Afganistan.. We want UCC, strict population control law with voting rights cut above 2 children...

[zyxraoxyz]

So let me see if I understand. If one political party is hugely popular with the electorate, and other parties are not -- then it is not a fair election? What? I mean WTF? That is the whole point of an election -- that the most popular and the first choice of the people gets to win. That is the definition of what FAIR is. You can't just say that the BJP is very popular and so it is not a fair election. That is idiotic.

[THENATIONALIST-rz]

India is a Democracy and Republic while UK is a Monarchy where all the powers are vested with the Christian monarch. While India is a secular country, UK is a Christian country

[user__]

Once M population reaches 51% in India, will the country remain secular?

[SV]

Each and Every voter can vote and choose thier leader but west lecture India about democracy 😅

[aroundandround]

Surprised BBC isn’t talking about Muslims being persecuted as it would appear like there is literally nothing else to talk about about India.

[Drbheemsenshuklaofficial]

India is in top 3 economy that is USA, china & India 🇮🇳

[deepakbalu]

We are happy with our beloved Prime minister Modiji. Modiji placed our country in top position.

[gnyanray]

During bengal famine ships were loaded with wheat and rice to fill the British well fed tummies. 😮

[tarangabarua]

its like usain bolt wins every time ..he is free to win...but, is is fair that he beats others by a big margin every time....not fair....😂

[Saisunil]

Funny news channel name - BBC World service 😂😂😂

[kousikSarma-kqdd]

It's free and fair.. if some part doesn't have resources that's not the fault of the other party

[PramodTan]

After a long time I saw an objective reporting about India from this tabloid.

[VivekRao-by]

❤❤❤ MODI ❤❤❤❤
💕💕💕 ANNAMALAI 💕💕💕
❤❤❤❤BJP ❤❤❤❤❤

[mohan]

Here comes British Bull-crap Corporation.

[sahilsc]

If one is to soutiks point to be true that bjp has friendly media, then congress has the bbc, dw, france24, nyt, wapo on it's side