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A poster urging Indians to vote in Mumbai on April 17, 2024.
CNN
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Voting begins on Friday in the first phase of India's marathon general election for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is seeking an unprecedented third consecutive term.
Some 969 million people will be eligible to vote in the biggest election in human history, which will be held in seven stages over the next six weeks in the world's most populous country.
The move comes as Prime Minister Modi's powerful right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) aims to win a full majority and gain the power to advance the party and extend the Hindu nationalist policies established during its 10-year rule. , this national vote is considered one of the most significant in recent decades.
These policies transformed India economically and culturally, and the Bharatiya Janata Party's governance shifted from India's secular foundations, built on democratic values of justice, freedom, equality and secularism, to a Hindu It was defined by the separation of religion into majoritarianism.
The BJP's election manifesto focuses on national development, with job creation, anti-poverty programs such as expanding food rationing and housing schemes, and a particular focus on women, the poor, farmers and youth.
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Indian Prime Minister and ruling Bharatiya Janata Party leader Narendra Modi waves to supporters at an election campaign event in Guwahati, April 16, 2024.
On the world stage, Prime Minister Modi wants India to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, is pushing for a bid for the 2036 Summer Olympics, and is aiming to land astronauts on the moon.
Challenging the BJP is India's main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, and its newly formed Alliance of Indian Political Parties.
The opposition coalition is counting on a unified approach to counter the Bharatiya Janata Party's dominance over the past decade.
The pro-National Congress camp promises “freedom from fear” and vows to uphold democratic values such as speech, expression and religious belief as enshrined in the constitution.
Their manifesto also emphasizes justice, equity and welfare, pledging to recognize civil unions between LGBTQ+ couples, protect religious minorities, and safety and empowerment for women, as well as apprenticeships for young graduates. It is being raised.
The Election Commission of India imposed restrictions on media outlets, including CNN, restricting the publication of reporting and analysis in the run-up to and during polling day.
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Supporters of India's opposition party, the Indian National Congress (INC), during an election campaign in Puducherry on April 15, 2024.
Voters are voting for 543 seats in the House of Representatives, with two additional seats to be nominated by the president.
The party that wins a majority forms the government and appoints one of the winning candidates as prime minister.
Voters in 21 state and union territory constituencies across India will cast their votes electronically on Friday. Some states are so large that voting is spread out over seven phases, while others vote in one day.
One of the most politically important states is Uttar Pradesh, home to 240 million people who vote in all seven phases. India's largest state is a key battleground for 80 seats in Sabah.
Voting will also take place on Friday in the southern state of Tamil Nadu and its capital Chennai, where the regional Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Party and the Alliance of India will move into a corner of India where the Bharatiya Janata Party has historically struggled to penetrate. There will be a fight to prevent the expansion of the
West Bengal, a state with a population of 102 million and 42 Sabah seats, will also vote in seven phases starting Friday. The BJP has struggled to break away from the state, which has long been dominated by the All India Trinamool Congress, led by political heavyweight Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
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Supporters attend an election rally addressed by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin in Chennai, April 15, 2024.
Voting will also be held on Friday in the remote Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Indian Ocean, home to some of the world's most isolated communities and indigenous tribes.
The same goes for northeastern states including Mizoram, Meghalaya and Nagaland, which border Myanmar, and parts of Manipur, which has been hit by ethnic violence over the past year.