n Amid Western media, intellectual think tanks, academics, human rights organizations, and other components of civil society and Opposition parties here expressing concerns about the state of democracy, the Election Commission has invited 75 international visitors from election management bodies (EMBs) of 23 countries, including Russia, Australia, Maldives, and Seychelles to watch the world's largest elections unfold.

The invited delegates will visit six states in small groups to witness the elections and preparations related to it in various constituencies. The Commission described the visit of the foreign delegates as a first in terms of scale and magnitude of participation. Beginning Saturday, the programme seeks to familiarise them with the nuances of India's electoral system as well as the best practices being used.

Recently, representatives of 18 political parties from 10 countries met BJP president JP Nadda, Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar and Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Viashnaw in New Delhi on Wednesday to have a sense of the party's election campaign strategies and the electoral process of India.According to the EC, the invited delegates represent various EMBs and organisations from 23 countries namely - Bhutan, Mongolia, Australia, Madagascar, Fiji, Kyrgyz Republic, Russia, Moldova, Tunisia, Seychelles, Cambodia, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Chile, Uzbekistan, Maldives, Papua New Guinea and Namibia.

Given the size of electorate here, the total electorate in the country, as per EC's electoral rolls, is just 98 crore people - roughly 12.5 per cent of the global population and five times US population, will cast their votes.

To conduct Lok Sabha polls here is a mammoth exercise involves lakhs of people and resources across the country.

Along with these 23 nations, members from the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), and media teams from Bhutan and Israel will also participate.

The electoral body of India said that it exemplifies its commitment to conducting general elections of the highest standards, offering a golden bridge for the EMBs to witness democratic excellence first-hand.

"The Election Commission of India continues fostering international cooperation by organising the Election Visitors' Programme (IEVP) during the ongoing Lok Sabha Elections 2024," it said. The programme, that begins on May 4, seeks to familiarise foreign EMBs with the nuances of India's electoral system as well as the best practices used by the largest democracy in the world, the EC said. The Commission said Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu will address the delegates on May 5. Thereafter, the delegates will embark in small groups to observe polls and related preparedness in various constituencies in six States-Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.

On the invitation of the BJP, the parties that have sent their representatives are the Liberal Party of Australia; the Communist Party of Vietnam; the Awami League of Bangladesh; the Likud Party of Israel; the National Resistance Movement of Uganda; the Chama Cha Mapinduzi of Tanzania; the United Russia Party of Russia; the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna and the United National Party of Sri Lanka; the Militant Socialist Movement, Mauritius Labour Party, Mauritian Militant Movement and Parti Mauricien Social Democrate of Mauritius; and the Nepali Congress, Janamat Party, Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and the Rashtriya Swatantra Party of Nepal.

Significantly, neither of the two US parties - the ruling Democrats and the Opposition Republicans - was invited. No political party from Pakistan was invited, given India's poor relations with the neighbouring country. The Communist Party of China was also not invited.

The ongoing Lok Sabha elections that began on April 19 and is being conducted in seven phases will conclude on June 1 with counting of votes scheduled for June 4.