Indians vote in the world's largest election
Published: 05:04 PM,Apr 19,2024 | EDITED : 10:04 PM,Apr 19,2024
Women wait to cast their votes at a polling station during the first phase of the general election
CHENNAI: A substantial number of Indians voted on Friday in the first phase of the world's largest election, authorities said, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks a historic third term on the back of issues such as growth and welfare.
The vote pits Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against an alliance of two dozen opposition parties that promise greater affirmative action and more handouts while stressing what they call the need to save democratic institutions.
Three hours before polls closed, figures from the Election Commission showed voter turnout ranged between 40% in the sprawling northern state of Bihar and 68% in the small northeastern state of Tripura.
'Voters show great enthusiasm as polling reaches halfway mark,' an election panel spokesperson had posted earlier on X. 'Substantial voter turnout reported.' The first of seven phases, Friday's vote covered 166 million voters in 102 constituencies across 21 states and territories, from Tamil Nadu in the south to Arunachal Pradesh on the Himalayan frontier with China.
Almost a billion people in the world's most populous nation are eligible to vote in the entire exercise running through the peak of summer until June 1, with results set for June 4.
Surveys suggest the BJP will easily win a majority, even though voters worry about unemployment, inflation and rural distress in the world's fastest growing major economy.
Modi aims to win 370 of parliament's 543 seats, up from 303 in 2019, hoping for a two-thirds majority that some analysts and opposition members fear could let his party usher in far-reaching constitutional changes. The BJP campaign focuses on Modi’s guarantee to deliver on promises to voters. 'This election is not just to choose a member of parliament,' Modi said on Friday. 'It is an election to secure the future of generations that come after you.' India needed a 'strong' government at a time when 'clouds of war are hanging over the world', he added.
Surveys show a big gap between BJP and the opposition but it was not 'necessarily unsurmountable', said political analyst Sandeep Shastri of research firm Lokniti Network.
'Many voters say that we take our decision on who to vote for during campaigning and many say we do it closer to the day of voting,' he said. 'So there is also scope for campaigning to impact the nature of the verdict.' But some BJP insiders and analysts say the party is worried about complacency or overconfidence among voters and party members, and needs to draw more people to vote.
The vote pits Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against an alliance of two dozen opposition parties that promise greater affirmative action and more handouts while stressing what they call the need to save democratic institutions.
Three hours before polls closed, figures from the Election Commission showed voter turnout ranged between 40% in the sprawling northern state of Bihar and 68% in the small northeastern state of Tripura.
'Voters show great enthusiasm as polling reaches halfway mark,' an election panel spokesperson had posted earlier on X. 'Substantial voter turnout reported.' The first of seven phases, Friday's vote covered 166 million voters in 102 constituencies across 21 states and territories, from Tamil Nadu in the south to Arunachal Pradesh on the Himalayan frontier with China.
Almost a billion people in the world's most populous nation are eligible to vote in the entire exercise running through the peak of summer until June 1, with results set for June 4.
Surveys suggest the BJP will easily win a majority, even though voters worry about unemployment, inflation and rural distress in the world's fastest growing major economy.
Modi aims to win 370 of parliament's 543 seats, up from 303 in 2019, hoping for a two-thirds majority that some analysts and opposition members fear could let his party usher in far-reaching constitutional changes. The BJP campaign focuses on Modi’s guarantee to deliver on promises to voters. 'This election is not just to choose a member of parliament,' Modi said on Friday. 'It is an election to secure the future of generations that come after you.' India needed a 'strong' government at a time when 'clouds of war are hanging over the world', he added.
Surveys show a big gap between BJP and the opposition but it was not 'necessarily unsurmountable', said political analyst Sandeep Shastri of research firm Lokniti Network.
'Many voters say that we take our decision on who to vote for during campaigning and many say we do it closer to the day of voting,' he said. 'So there is also scope for campaigning to impact the nature of the verdict.' But some BJP insiders and analysts say the party is worried about complacency or overconfidence among voters and party members, and needs to draw more people to vote.