NEW DELHI (AP) — Millions of Indians began voting Friday in an election that is a six-week referendum. narendra modia populist prime minister who has championed an assertive brand. hindu nationalist politics He is seeking an unprecedented third term as the country's leader.
In the 21 first states to vote, from the Himalayas to the tropical Andaman Islands, voters began lining up at polling stations hours before they were allowed to enter polling stations at 7 a.m. Approximately 970 million voters, more than 10% of the world's population, will elect 543 members of the House of Representatives for five years in staggered elections that will be held until June 1. Votes will be counted on June 4th.
One voter said he came early to avoid the summer heat.
Prime Minister Modi appealed to people to vote in record numbers. “I especially appeal to young people and first-time voters to vote big. After all, every vote counts and every voice matters!” he wrote in a message on social media platform X mentioned in.
The election is seen as one of the most consequential in India's history and will test the limits of Mr. Modi's political dominance.
If Modi wins, he will become the second Indian leader to stay in power for three terms, after the country's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.
Most polls predict a victory for Prime Minister Modi and the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party against a broad coalition of opposition parties led by the Indian National Congress and the Indian National Congress. strong regional parties.
It is unclear who will lead India if the opposition coalition known as INDIA wins the election. More than 20 political parties have not submitted candidates, saying they will select candidates only after the results are known.
The BJP faces its toughest challenge in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, which goes to polls on Friday, winning 39 seats. The BJP drew a blank in 2019 and won one seat in the 2014 elections in an area dominated by two strong regional groups: the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.
Prime Minister Modi has focused on the state this time, visiting the state more than a dozen times and holding several rallies and roadshows.
After the vote in Tamil Nadu, P. Chidambaram, leader of the opposition Congress party and the country's former finance minister, said, “The Bharatiya Janata Party is imposing one language, one culture, one system, one type.'' “People won't vote in the state because of that.” of food. ”
Voting is also being held in the northeastern state of Manipur, which has been devastated by a year of near-civil war sparked by fighting between the majority Meitei tribe and the tribal Kuki Zo tribe. A mob rampaged through the village and houses were set on fire.
Election authorities set up polling stations in around 320 relief camps, home to more than 59,000 men, women and children. The province is divided into valleys dominated by the Meiteis and hill regions dominated by the Kukis.
More than 150 people died and more than 60,000 were evacuated. Voting for the two seats will be completed on April 26th.
In the 2019 elections, the BJP and its allies won 39 out of 102 seats, with voting taking place on Friday. These include Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.
The election comes after 10 years of Prime Minister Modi's leadership, during which the BJP consolidated power through a combination of pro-Hindu politics and economic development.
Mr. Modi has doubled down on Hindu nationalist rhetoric on the campaign trail and sought to present himself as an ally. global leader. Ministers tout him as the steward of India's rapid growth, while supporters celebrate his campaign promise to make India a developed country by 2047, the country's centenary of independence.
But while India's economy is one of the fastest growing in the world, many of its citizens face increasing economic hardship. The opposition coalition hopes to capitalize on this, seeking to galvanize voters with issues such as: high unemployment rateinflation, corruption and low agricultural prices caused the two-year situation. farmers' protest.
Critics have warned that Modi is becoming increasingly illiberal and could use a third term to undermine India's democracy. They argue that his Hindu nationalist politics breed intolerance and threaten the country's secular roots.
The alliance pledged to halt the erosion of democracy that India witnessed under the Modi government. They accuse Mr. Modi of sidelining elected ministers in favor of trusted bureaucrats and using tax authorities and police to harass critics and opposition parties.
“Mr. Modi has very authoritarian views. He doesn't believe in democracy. He doesn't believe in parliamentarism,” said Christophe Giaffuro, who has written about Mr. Modi and the Hindu right. said.
Prime Minister Modi insisted that India's commitment to democracy remains unchanged. “India is not only realizing the aspirations of its 1.4 billion people, but also inspiring the world with the hope that democracy brings and empowers,” he said at the Democracy Summit in New Delhi in March. I'm giving,” he said.
Indian leaders enjoy immense popularity among India's 1.4 billion people. His Bharatiya Janata Party is dominant in the Hindi-speaking north and center of India and is now trying to gain a foothold with a two-thirds majority in the east and south. Mr. Modi and other Bharatiya Janata Party candidates have repeatedly pledged to win at least 400 seats.
The party hopes to win by a landslide thanks to its popular welfare program, which it says will improve access to clean toilets, medical care, cooking gas and provide free grain to the poor.Controversial architectural moves temple of ram Demolished mosque site and demolition in Muslim-majority disputed areas of Kashmir autonomywhich may resonate with supporters who hail him as a defender of the Hindu majority.
“It's a frightening prospect for a democracy to see any party come back for a third term and even win a majority,” political commentator Arati Jelas said.
India's civil liberties have been violated during the Modi government's second term. attack And it has implemented what critics say are discriminatory policies.There have been peaceful protests crushed With all my might. The once free and diverse press blackmailedViolence against people is on the rise. muslim minoritygovernment agencies arrested opposition politicians on corruption charges.
The BJP denies that its policies are discriminatory and says its activities benefit all Indians.