The world’s biggest elections are in full swing in India. This Monday, May 6, the third phase of the legislative elections opens, which began on April 19 and which will end on June 1. More than 100 million voters are called to the polls to elect their deputies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is aiming for a third term, voted this morning.
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With our correspondent in Bangalore, Como Bastin
During these elections, Indians choose their representatives in 573 constituencies and this monster election lasts a month and a half. The party that obtains a majority in Parliament will be the one that appoints a new Prime Minister after the results on June 4.
This is a favorable phase today for the Hindu nationalists in power, who must nevertheless succeed to secure their majority in Parliament. We vote in the state of Gujarat, a stronghold of the BJP, where Narendra Modi rose to prominence as a leader before becoming prime minister. He voted this morning in the capital Ahmedabad where his Interior Minister, Amit Shah, is a candidate.
We also vote in northern Karnataka, where the BJP is well established, as well as in Maharashtra, a state of which the BJP took control in 2022, fracturing the opposition majority which was in power. The voters of Maharashtra will also give their verdict on this contested political maneuver.
It is an immense logistical challenge, accentuated by the extreme heat which hits the north of the country. They could dissuade some voters from voting when participation has already declined during the first phases of voting. Finally, several bomb threats were reported yesterday in Ahmedabad. It’s about a priori false alarms, like in the capital a few days earlier.
Also listenIndia: everything you need to know about the legislative elections in the world’s largest democracy