Prime Minister Modi votes as India's marathon election heats up
Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in India's general election, marking his presence during the third phase of the electoral process. Modi, the leader of the Hindu nationalist movement, exercised his voting rights in his home state of Gujarat. Following his participation, he addressed the public, encouraging a high voter turnout despite the challenging weather conditions. Emphasizing the significance of the democratic process, Modi appealed to citizens to partake in what he described as the "festival of democracy." The third phase of voting in which Modi took part is significant, with 172 million people across 11 states eligible to participate. This phase is aimed at filling 94 seats in the lower house of parliament from a total of 543. In the previous election held in 2019, Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured more than 70 of these seats. The BJP has been promoting its achievements in terms of India's economic growth and its Hindu nationalist agenda throughout the campaign. The ongoing election has been marked by heightened tensions, particularly around issues related to the Muslim community. Modi and his allies have been criticized for their inflammatory campaign speeches, resulting in accusations of hate speech against minority Muslims. The voting, spread across different phases, concludes with the final results expected to be announced on June 4th. Preliminary surveys and polls suggest that Modi's BJP is likely to retain a comfortable majority in parliament.