Modi tipped for victory as world’s largest election begins
▶ Voters in 21 states and nine federally ruled territories set to cast ballots in first phase of election on Friday
Hundreds of millions of Indians will head to the polls on Friday for the first phase of the country’s general election, with voting set to begin in more than 100 constituencies.
Nearly 970 million people are eligible to vote in the elections to the lower house of parliament, with Prime Minister Narendra
Modi hoping to secure a third term. Most pre-election opinion polls have put Mr Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party comfortably ahead.
A party or alliance needs to win 272 out of the 543 seats in total to form a government.
The BJP leads the National Democratic Alliance, a coalition of about 40 parties.
Mr Modi has set an ambitious target of 400 seats for the coalition, which would give him a supermajority.
The BJP stormed to power in the 2014 election and won by an even bigger margin in 2019.
Its success has marginalised the previously dominant Indian National Congress, its main challenger again this year.
The Congress leads the multiparty Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance bloc, which aims to stop Mr Modi from becoming only the second Indian prime minister to serve three consecutive terms.
Voting will take place in seven phases from Friday until June 1, with results expected on June 4.
Voters in 21 states and all nine federally ruled territories will cast their ballots in the first phase, as 1,625 candidates contest 102 seats.
The BJP has been campaigning on its success in fulfilling previous election promises, having spent billions of dollars on developing infrastructure and building toilets and homes for the underprivileged.
But opposition parties have accused Mr Modi of dividing the country on religious lines and failing to boost the economy, redress inflation and tackle unemployment.
Hundreds of millions of Indians will participate in the first phase of the country’s general election, with voting scheduled to begin in more than 100 constituencies on Friday.
India, the world’s largest democracy, with a population of 1.4 billion, will conduct staggered polls for the 543 seats in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament, over 47 days ending on June 1.
About 970 million people are eligible to vote, and the election results are anticipated to be announced on June 4.
This year’s general election is the second longest in India’s history. The country’s first general election spanned four months from 1951 to 1952, while the most recent election in 2019 was completed in 39 days.
Most opinion polls and political commentators predict a comfortable win for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has become popular for championing the interests of the majority Hindu population.
His Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party surged to power in 2014, and was re-elected by an even larger margin five years later, further marginalising the Indian National Congress, the country’s oldest party, which previously dominated the political landscape.
The Congress party is leading the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance bloc, which includes about two dozen parties united in an effort to prevent Mr Modi from becoming only the second Indian prime minister to serve three consecutive terms.
The BJP leads a coalition of about 40 parties called the National Democratic Alliance.
In the first phase of India’s general election on Friday, voters in 21 states and all nine federally ruled territories will cast their ballots, with 1,625 candidates contesting 102 seats.
India’s Election Commission has announced that no voter will be more than 2km from a polling booth.
More than 15 million personnel, including security forces, will have the task of ensuring the elections are free and fair.
The BJP is engaged in direct electoral contests against the Congress and its allies in several states, including Bihar, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh.
The BJP faces a significant test in Tamil Nadu, where all 39 seats are being contested in the first round of polling.
Commentators predict another challenging performance for the BJP. Mr Modi has conducted public rallies in the southern state in an effort to make electoral gains against Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the dominant regional ruling party and a key member of the India bloc.
The BJP will be directly contesting against the regional political powerhouse All India Trinamool Congress in the eastern state of West Bengal, and it aims to achieve another strong performance against the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh.
The northern state, home to more than 200 million people, sends 80 members to Parliament and is considered a crucial battleground in national elections.
The BJP has focused its campaign on highlighting its achievements in fulfilling past election promises, including significant investments in infrastructure development such as roads, waterways and airports, as well as initiatives to build toilets and homes for the underprivileged.
Mr Modi has pledged to transform India into a developed country by 2047.
Under its “Once Again Modi” campaign, the BJP has pledged to prioritise the welfare of young people, women, the underprivileged and farmers.
However, opposition parties have accused Mr Modi of fostering religious divisions and failing to address economic challenges such as inflation and unemployment.
The BJP has also promised to implement “One Nation, One Election”, advocating for simultaneous elections to Parliament and state legislatures with the stated aims of enhancing transparency, reducing costs and improving governance.
Additionally, the BJP aims to introduce a Uniform Civil Code that will cover marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption.
The code will replace the current personal laws that allow different religious communities to follow their own practices in these matters.
The party has promoted the construction of the Ram Temple as a major achievement during Mr Modi’s second term.
The grand temple, built on the site of 16th-century Babri Masjid, was inaugurated in January after decades of legal disputes over the demolition of the mosque by supporters of the BJP and other Hindu rightwing groups in 1992.
Mr Modi has been accused by his political rivals of invoking majority religious sentiments and calling them anti-Hindu in an attempt to appeal to voters, which critics say is a violation of election guidelines.
His opponents allege that he is polarising the country along caste and religious lines and pursuing an agenda of Hindu hegemony by marginalising religious minorities.
“Elections in India are a massive exercise of democracy. But in trying to win, political leaders also need to be responsible,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, Asia deputy director of Human Rights Watch.
“They should not engage in hate speech or incite violence against particular religious and
The Indian Election Commission has announced that no voter will be more than 2km from a polling booth
ethnic groups by singling them out during their campaign activities or on social media, and they should prevent their supporters from doing so as well.”
The Congress party, led by Rahul Gandhi, has challenged Mr Modi by promoting an agenda of “justice”.
The Congress party lost power to Mr Modi in 2014 after a decade-long reign and has experienced a decline in its electoral fortunes since then.
Mr Gandhi has accused his opponent of undermining India’s democratic system, eroding law enforcement and the judiciary, and repressing journalists and dissenters.
The India bloc, which includes the Aam Aadmi Party ruling Delhi and Punjab, has pledged to defeat the BJP to uphold the constitution and democracy.
The second phase of polling, for 89 seats across 13 states and federally ruled territories, will be held next Friday.