India made the eagerly awaited announcement on Saturday, revealing the commencement of its six-week-long general elections starting from April 19. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are widely expected to clinch victory, as indicated by most surveys.
Spanning over seven phases, the voting process in the world’s largest democracy will unfold across different states at varying times. The culmination will be the announcement of results on June 4. With over 970 million voters, constituting more than 10% of the global population, India will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament, serving a term of five years.
Modi, vying for a third consecutive term, faces minimal opposition, notably from the Indian National Congress party-led alliance, which appears fragmented due to internal disputes, defections, and ideological differences.
Political analysts foresee these elections as solidifying Modi’s stature as one of India’s most influential leaders. Throughout his tenure, Modi has endeavored to reshape India from a secular democracy to a professedly Hindu nation.
India’s 6-Week General Elections Begin April 19; Modi’s BJP Leads in Surveys (Credits: AP News)
The electoral process is designed with staggered phases, each lasting a day, facilitating logistical arrangements across various regions. This approach enables the deployment of tens of thousands of troops to maintain order and facilitate the movement of election officials and voting equipment.
Utilizing a first-past-the-post multiparty electoral system, India determines winners based on the candidate with the highest number of votes.
Leading up to the polls, Modi has traversed the country, inaugurating infrastructure projects, delivering speeches, and interacting with voters. His popularity surged notably after the inauguration of a Hindu temple in Ayodhya in January, perceived as the informal commencement of his election campaign, aligning with his party’s longstanding Hindu nationalist agenda.
Modi, aged 73, rose to power in 2014 on pledges of economic growth, positioning himself as an outsider challenging the political establishment. Over the years, he has consolidated support by intertwining religion with politics, resonating strongly with the Hindu majority, albeit at the expense of India’s secular principles.
The elections coincide with India’s heightened global significance under Modi’s leadership, attributed to its burgeoning economy and its role as a counterbalance to China’s ascension.
However, critics point to concerning trends during Modi’s tenure, including escalating unemployment despite economic expansion, targeting of minority groups, particularly Muslims, by Hindu nationalist factions, and a shrinking space for dissent and free media. The opposition contends that a victory for Modi’s BJP could jeopardize India’s identity as a secular, democratic nation.
A potential victory for the BJP would echo its success in the 2019 elections, where it secured an overwhelming majority with 303 parliamentary seats, overshadowing the Congress party’s tally of 52 seats.
