The Election Commission of India has said that Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, was the inspiration behind its pledge for a violence free and peaceful General Election to the 18th Lok Sabha.

“The long queues at polling stations in a festive mood and the determination to decide their future through the ballot were testament to Mahatma’s cherished ideals and India’s civilizational heritage,” the Commission stated after paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat on Thursday evening. It also said that the Father of the Nation championed equality amongst human beings and espoused democratic rights for all.

Further, the Commission stated that it made its best efforts to ensure that the right to franchise of the most ordinary Indian is not denied at any cost, and rather it gets vigorously enabled; that the world’s largest electoral contest creates democratic surpluses; and that violence of any form is not allowed to cast even the smallest shadow in the intense activity involving crores of people over our large landscape.

ECI also said that it rebuffed all attempts to vitiate the electoral process with rumors and baseless doubts which could have fomented unrest and asserted that the ‘Will’ and ‘Wisdom’ of the common man who has enormous faith in democratic institutions of India have prevailed.

We sign off with the pledge that Election Commission of India’s service to the nation, now in its 76th year, will go on with unflinching dedication, EC also stated.

Earlier, the Commission handed over the names of elected members to the 18th Lok Sabha to the President of India which meant that the Model Code of Conduct has been lifted.

On Thursday, ECI also announced that the overall voter turnout recorded in General Elections 2024 at the polling stations is 65.79% voter turnout.