She said the Conservatives would provide "strong and stable leadership" for Brexit and beyond, and promising to wage "a positive and optimistic campaign".
This changed with the Fixed Term Parliaments Act of 2011, which legislated that elections should take place every five years.
In her radio interview, Ms May said that if she had not brought forward the date of the election, Brexit negotiations would have been coming to a head just as the Government was preparing to go to the polls.
"That would be in nobody's interest", May said.
But her decision also opens the door to more uncertainty in the region, as it now puts Europe's three most powerful nations - Britain, Germany and France - into full-throttle election mode.
"When you are trying to say "I speak for Britain", you've got to get out there and listen to what Britain says back to you and argue your case". Its lawmakers abstained during Wednesday's vote.
He urged the Scottish members to "be patient" as they persisted with the demand for him to say "yes or no" as he addressed the Commons on the prime minister's motion for an early election.
Despite Corbyn's bravado, his party is demoralized and divided under his left-wing leadership and is expected to fare badly.
Opinion polls put the Conservatives - who now hold 330 of parliament's 650 seats - well ahead of Labour, who have 229.
Currently, the Conservative Party has a narrow majority of 330 of the 650 seats in the House of Commons.
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However, it is only applicable until May 17 when a senior district judge will initiate hearing on his extradition. The Metropolitan Police extradition unit took Mallya into custody on behalf of India, the BBC News reported .
Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron asked May: "You debated me in 1992, so debate me now".
IG Group, which is an online trading platform, has created a general election seats market which allows traders buy and sell the total amount of seats each party could win. A national election in May 2015 was followed by the June 2016 referendum on European Union membership.
The European Union, meanwhile, said it will stick to a timetable for preparing to launch Brexit negotiations with the United Kingdom despite the early general election.
She said that "Brexit isn't just about the letter that says we want to leave".
"After everything she said about governing the country, she has taken one look at the opinion polls and dashed to an election".
European Union officials say Britain's surprise election will not interrupt the bloc's preparations for Brexit talks though they will slightly delay the start of negotiations.
It had been hoped talks could start by the end of that month, but EU Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas said Wednesday that "the real political negotiations" with Britain would not start till after the June 8 election.
May has even faced calls from some of her own MPs to debate Corbyn and other party leaders in the format that has been a custom since 2010.
Mr Munro added: "There is a proven track record over two elections and two referendums that debates reach huge audiences including a lot of young people who don't watch conventional political coverage in great numbers".
ITV confirmed it will host a leaders' debate during the general election campaign, while a senior BBC journalist said the corporation would not let a single politician stop a programme which was in the public interest.
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