General Elections in India, polling in 21 states in first phase

India I Friday the world’s largest Election year For Voting It has started where the Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to be elected as Prime Minister for a third term based on his personal popularity and Hindu nationalism.

In these elections, Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is fighting alone against a coalition of two dozen opposition parties that say “democratic institutions need to be saved from Modi’s authoritarian regime.”

In the world’s most populous country, the elections will be held in seven phases till June 1 and the votes will be counted on June 4.

In the biggest phase on Friday, more than 16.5 crore voters are exercising their right to vote in 102 constituencies across 21 states and union territories, including Tamil Nadu in the south, Arunachal Pradesh on the Himalayan border with China, and Arunachal Pradesh in the north. The most populous state includes Uttar Pradesh.

The voting process started at 7:00 AM local time when the polling stations were opened long before the polling stations opened amid tight security, including senior citizens.

Abdul Sattar, a 32-year-old voter from Uttar Pradesh’s Kairana district, said: ‘Modi will return to power, because apart from religious pressure, he has worked for national security.’

Mohammad Shabbir, a 60-year-old driver and father of eight, said unemployment was the biggest problem for him as none of his children had regular jobs.

He said that Hindu nationalism is not an issue in this election as Hindus are also affected by lack of employment.

Polls suggest that the BJP will easily win a majority even though voters are deeply concerned about unemployment, inflation and rural issues in the world’s fastest-growing major economy.

In this April 19, 2024 photo, people line up to cast their votes during the first phase of general elections in Kairana, Shamli district of India’s Uttar Pradesh state.(AFP)

Modi wrote in the BJP’s election manifesto that ‘In the next five years, we will take our nation to the top three economies of the world, launch a final and decisive fight against poverty, create new avenues of development. Will open, reform and take many steps.’

Modi wrote in a post on X minutes before polling began: ‘I request all voters to exercise their right to vote in record numbers.’

He said: ‘I call on young people and first-time voters in particular to vote in large numbers. After all, every vote counts and every voice matters.’

If Modi wins, he will become only the second Indian prime minister after post-independence leader Jawaharlal Nehru to be elected three times in a row.

Modi says that important work will be done in his third term. BJP hoardings in various towns and cities highlight India’s historic landing on the South Pole of the Moon and its fight against corruption.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi plays a traditional drum during an election rally for Assam state Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma during an election rally in Assam state ahead of the country’s upcoming general elections April 17, 2024 (AFP)

But Hindu nationalism is an important topic. Critics of Modi’s government and the BJP accuse them of discriminating against India’s 20 million minority Muslims or targeting them to please their hardline Hindu voters. Intermittent violence between Hindus and Muslims continues in the country.

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The opposition alliance ‘India’ says that this election is an ideological war which is being fought to prevent the BJP from destroying the constitutional and democratic system.

Central opposition Congress Party leader Rahul Gandhi said that the BJP always tries to divert attention from major issues like unemployment and inflation.

The coalition opposition parties have fielded joint candidates against the BJP, accusing the government of leveling the playing field by arresting opposition leaders in corruption cases and making huge tax demands ahead of the vote. Depriving.

Chandrachur Singh, who teaches politics at Delhi’s Hindu College, said the BJP has a clear lead but also faces real challenges.

He said that this is not an election where there are no problems. There are issues that could have led to anti-government sentiment. But this is something that a fragmented, divided, weak opposition is not using and that is the reason why there is a kind of disillusionment among the voters and the BJP is getting a chance to move forward.’