By ASHOK SHARMA and KRUTIKA PATHI (Associated Press)
NEW DELHI (AP) — Millions of Indians started voting on Friday in a six-week election that's a test of Narendra Modi's leadership, the prime minister known for his strong Hindu nationalist politics and is aiming for a rare third term as the country’s leader.
Voters began queuing at polling stations hours before they were allowed in at 7 a.m. in parts of 21 states, from the Himalayan mountains to the tropical Andaman Islands. Nearly 970 million voters — more than 10% of the world’s population — will elect 543 members to the lower house of Parliament for five years during the staggered election that runs until June 1. The votes will be counted on June 4. There are a total of 28 states in India.
Voting closed at 6 p.m. (1230 GMT) and the estimated turnout was around 60% of 166.3 million eligible voters in the first round, according to the election authority. For comparison, India’s 2019 national election saw the highest ever voter turnout — 67.11% — in the history of Indian parliamentary elections.
The second round will be held on April 26, and the turnout is expected to rise over the course of the voting. Authorities stated that the voting was mostly peaceful on Friday. Media reports mentioned that some supporters of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party and the opposition Congress party clashed in Chhindwara, a city in central India, during the voting.
Some workers of the BJP and the All India Trinamool Congress clashed in West Bengal state on Thursday night. Some injuries were reported, but the election authority didn’t provide any details.
This election is considered one of the most important in India’s history and will challenge the extent of Modi’s political control.
If Modi is successful, he would be only the second Indian leader to remain in power for a third term, following Jawaharlal Nehru, the country’s first prime minister.
Most polls anticipate a victory for Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, which is up against a broad opposition alliance led by the Indian National Congress and influential regional parties.
It’s uncertain who will lead India if the opposition alliance, called INDIA, wins the election. Its more than 20 parties have not yet nominated a candidate.
The BJP controls much of India’s Hindi-speaking northern and central regions, but is now attempting to establish a presence in the east and south. Their biggest challenge is in the southern Tamil Nadu state, with 39 seats, where voting is taking place on Friday.
Voters in hot and humid Chennai, the state’s capital, began quickly filling the city’s nearly 4,000 polling booths. A number of them stated they were voting for a change in federal government due to increasing prices, unemployment and religious division encouraged by the BJP.
“First thing I came to vote for is to have a country without any religious disharmony. In Tamil Nadu — Hindus, Muslims, Christians, we’re all together. And this unity should grow,” said 65-year-old Mary Das, who was waiting to vote.
P. Chidambaram, a leader of the opposition Congress party and former finance minister of the country, said that the people of Tamil Nadu will not vote for the BJP because it is forcing one language, one culture, one system, and one type of food on them.
The BJP has faced difficulty in winning votes in the state, where two influential regional parties — the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam — are dominant. The BJP did not win any seats in 2019, and won one seat in 2014.
In Rajasthan, voters returning from polling stations covered their heads to protect themselves from dusty winds.
“If the new government can solve unemployment, then it will be good. People are moving from this area to find work,” said Atinder Singh, 26.
Voting is also happening in the northeastern state of Manipur, where there has been nearly a year of intense conflict, leading to ethnic violence. Mobs have gone on rampages through villages, burning down houses, resulting in more than 150 deaths.The election is occurring after a decade of Modi’s leadership, in which the BJP has strengthened its power by combining Hindu-first politics and economic growth.
Modi has increased Hindu nationalist language during the campaign, and has aimed to portray himself as a global leader.
Modi has raised Hindu nationalist rhetoric during the campaign, and has tried to showcase himself as a worldwide leader. . His ministers praise him as the guardian of a rapidly advancing India, while his supporters celebrate his pledge to make India a developed nation by 2047, the 100th anniversary of its independence.But while India’s economy is one of the world’s fastest-growing, many of its people are experiencing increasing economic hardship. The opposition coalition hopes to address this, aiming to energize voters around issues such as high unemployment, inflation, corruption, and low agricultural prices that have led to two years of farmers’ protests.
The opposition — and critics — also caution that Modi has become more authoritarian. They accuse Modi of using tax authorities and the police to intimidate the opposition, and they are concerned that a third term could undermine India’s democracy. His Hindu nationalist politics, they argue, has fostered intolerance and is threatening the country’s secular foundations. “Modi has a very authoritarian mindset. He doesn’t believe in democracy. He doesn’t believe in parliamentarianism,” said Christophe Jaffrelot, a political scientist who has written about Modi and the Hindu right.Modi maintains that India’s dedication to democracy remains unchanged. He stated in a Summit for Democracy meeting in New Delhi in March that “India is not only fulfilling the aspirations of its 1.4 billion people, but is also providing hope to the world that democracy delivers and empowers.” The Indian leader, who is extremely popular, is aiming for a two-thirds majority this time..
The BJP is hoping for a significant victory driven by its successful welfare programs, which it claims have enhanced access to clean toilets, healthcare, and cooking gas, as well as providing free grain to the poor. Actions such as the building of a controversial temple to Ramat the site of a demolished mosque, and the elimination of the disputed Muslim-majority region of
Kashmir’s former autonomy
This might be important to people who support him as the leader of the Hindu majority.
Arati Jerath, a political commentator, said, “It’s scary for democracy when a party comes back for a third term with a strong majority.”
During Modi’s two terms, civil rights in India have been under attack. have been under attack Peaceful protests have been forcefully stopped, and the media, which used to be free and varied, is now under threat. is in dangerThere's an increase in violence targeted at the Muslim minority.
Muslim minority
have detained opposition politicians in alleged corruption cases have arrested members of the opposing party for supposed corruption.The BJP denies that its policies are unfair and claims that its work benefits all Indians. This story has been corrected: 166.3 million voters were eligible in the first round, not 66.3 million.Millions of Indians are voting in a six-week election that’s a referendum on Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The first round of voting was held across 21 states on Friday. Modi is seeking a rare third term in office. He is up against a broad opposition alliance that hasn’t named their candidate for prime minister if they win. India’s voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament during the staggered elections running until June 1. The votes will be counted on June 4. Muslim minority, and government agencies have arrested opposition politicians in alleged corruption cases.
The BJP has denied its policies are discriminatory and says its work benefits all Indians.
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This story has been corrected to show that 166.3 million voters were eligible in the first round, not 66.3 million.
