Millions in the states of Uttar Pradesh (UP), West Bengal, Maharashtra and Jharkhand are voting in India’s election under extreme conditions, with temperatures expected to reach 40°C (104°F) on Monday.
The election is being conducted in seven phases over six weeks, with Monday’s voting also covering India’s financial capital, Mumbai.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to win a third term, with strong support from the city’s business and entertainment elite.
Yet, with less than two weeks left of a six-week voting schedule, lower voter turnout has been a cause of concern for Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
While Modi’s party has been promising more than 400 seats in the 543-seat parliament in its pre-election campaigns, the nationalist party seems to facing stronger opposition than anticipated in some states.
While most experts say Modi should be able to retain a majority in the parliament, the numbers may not be as high as predicted.
The Congress party scion Rahul Gandhi, one of Modi’s primary rivals, will also be in the fray on Monday contesting from Raebareli in UP. Gandhi is also contesting from Wayanad in the south which has already voted.
Meanwhile, the opposition INDIA alliance, which includes Congress and several other political parties, received a significant boost as Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, a vocal critic of Modi, was granted bail by the court, allowing him to campaign in the election.
The counting of the votes will happen on June 4.
ss/rc (RTRS, AFP, AP)
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