India Holds Fourth Round of General Election Amidst Religious and Economic Divides

In an election that will pit his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against an alliance of more than two dozen opposition parties, including chief rival Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is vying for a rare third term in office. Voting has begun. “I appeal to all to vote for a decisive government,” declared Amit Shah, the nation’s interior affairs minister and a close aide to Modi. Monday is election day for 96 seats spread across 10 states and territories, with 177 million voters eligible to participate. In the southern and eastern states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha, where the BJP is weaker than in other regions of the nation, there are a lot of seats. Election turnout is being closely monitored because slightly lower numbers in the first three phases have sparked worries about voters’ disinterest in a contest lacking a compelling focal point. With maximum temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius (104°F) or higher in many areas of the nation, the effect of hot weather on voting is also being monitored. Opinion polls had predicted a landslide victory for the BJP and its allies, but the lower turnout has cast doubt on that possibility. According to analysts, Modi changed the focus of his campaign after the first phase from his economic record to accusing the Congress of preparing to extend welfare benefits to minority Muslims at the expense of underprivileged tribal groups and Hindu castes as a result of the lower turnout. The BJP disputes the claim made by the Congress that it made any such pledge and that Modi is alarmed by the turnout. India is home to 1.4 billion Hindus, or around 80% of the world’s population, but it also has 200 million Muslims, making it the world’s third largest Muslim population. According to surveys, the biggest concerns among voters are rising prices and unemployment. The Congress, led by Rahul Gandhi, is advocating for increased representation and welfare programs for India’s underprivileged and impoverished populations. They claim that during Modi’s ten-year term, wealth inequality has increased, a claim that the government has rejected. The Supreme Court granted temporary bail to Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, the national capital territory, and a prominent opposition figure, enabling him to campaign, giving the opposition INDIA alliance, led by the Congress, a boost ahead of Monday’s vote. Also Read: Concerns rise over Modi govt’s anti-Muslim rhetoric As a fervent opponent of Modi, Kejriwal was detained in a liquor policy graft case one month prior to the elections, which led to claims that the Modi administration was using the probes and arrests to discredit the opposition. Kejriwal refutes the accusations of corruption, while the government maintains that it has no bearing on law enforcement.

Nearly one billion voters

India’s election is conducted in seven phases over six weeks to ease the immense logistical burden of staging the democratic exercise in the world’s most populous country. More than 968 million people are eligible to vote in India’s election, with the final round of polling on June 1 and results expected three days later. Turnout so far has declined significantly from the last national poll in 2019, according to election commission figures. Analysts have blamed widespread expectations that Modi will easily win a third term and hotter-than-average temperatures heading into the summer. India’s weather bureau has forecast more hot spells in May and the election commission formed a taskforce last month to review the impact of heat and humidity before each round of voting.

Rhetoric over religion, inequality sharpens

“I appeal to all to vote for a decisive government,” said Amit Shah, Modi’s powerful aide and the country’s interior affairs minister, as voting began. Polling will be held for 96 seats in 10 states and territories on Monday, with 177m people eligible to cast their ballots. A large number of seats are in the southern and eastern states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha where the BJP is not as strong as other parts of the country. Turnout is being closely watched as marginally lower numbers in the first three phases have raised concerns about voter disinterest in an election without a strong, central issue. The impact of hot weather on voting is also being watched with maximums in many parts of the country around 40 degrees Celsius or higher. The lower turnout has raised doubts over whether the BJP and its allies can win the landslide predicted by opinion polls. Analysts say the lower turnout prompted Modi to change the tack of his campaign after the first phase, shifting focus from his economic record to accusing the Congress of planning to extend welfare benefits to minority Muslims at the expense of disadvantaged tribal groups and Hindu castes. Congress has denied making any such promise and has said Modi is rattled by the turnout, which the BJP denies. About 80 per cent of India’s 1.4 billion people are Hindus but it also has the world’s third-largest Muslim population of about 200m people. Surveys suggest voters are most concerned about unemployment and price rises. Led by Rahul Gandhi, Congress is pitching for better representation and welfare programmes for India’s poor and disadvantaged groups, stating that wealth inequality has worsened during Modi’s 10-year term, a charge rejected by the government. The opposition INDIA alliance led by Congress got a shot in the arm ahead of Monday’s vote when the Supreme Court gave temporary bail to Arvind Kejriwal, chief minister of the national capital territory of Delhi and a key opposition leader, allowing him to campaign. Kejriwal is a fierce critic of Modi and was arrested a month before the elections in a liquor policy graft case, sparking accusations Modi’s government was seeking to cripple the opposition through investigations and arrests. Kejriwal denies the corruption allegations while the government says it does not influence law enforcement agencies.