India election: Voting begins as Modi seeks 3rd term

Three hours before polls closed on the first day of voting in a seven-week election, the Election Commission of India said turnout ranged between 40% in the large 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 posted on X. "Substantial voter turnout reported."

The first of seven phases of voting, Friday's ballot covered 166 million voters in 102 constituencies across 21 states and territories — from southern Tamil Nadu to Arunachal Pradesh on India's Himalayan border with China.

The world's most populous nation, India is home to nearly a billion eligible voters.

The entire election will run through June 1, with results set for June 4.

A number of members of India's opposition National Congress party have defected to the ruling right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in recent months.

DW examines the multiple reasons behind such defections, some of which have to do with the charismatic power exuded by India's leader.

The election is taking place against a backdrop of allegations that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party is stifling democracy.

Last month, the opposition Congress party said that all of its bank accounts had been frozen ahead of the election by Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Rahul Gandhi, a former head of India's Congress party, remarked that "there is no more democracy in India" as being cut off from its finances left the party unable to campaign ahead of the six-week-long election process.

"We can't support our workers, and our candidates and leaders can't travel by air or train," the Congress party figure told reporters. "It has been orchestrated to cripple us in the elections.

The BJP denied those allegations and said the accounts were partially frozen over a failure to provide tax returns for donations received in 2017-18.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasized his country's strong economic growth under his rule.

But not all aspects of the Indian economy are as rosy, as DW reports.

One of the faces who was missing from the pre-election campaign trail is the prominent opposition politician and Delhi chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal.

Kejriwal, along with much of his party's leadership, was arrested last month and is still in custody on allegations his party received kickbacks in return for liquor licenses.

On Monday, a Delhi court extended the detention of opposition leader in the graft case until April 23.

A fierce critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kejriwal has denied the charges against him.

His Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) dismissed the allegations as "a desperate attempt to malign the image" of the party.

Modi's critics have accused his ruling party of attempting to suppress the opposition ahead of the election.

The AAP is part of the INDIA alliance, which includes over two dozen parties opposing Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Both the United States and Germany have expressed concerns about the arrest of the prominent opposition leader before the election.

The general election in India, where almost a billion people are eligible to vote, sees Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a forerunner for a third straight term.

• A total of 968 million voters are registered in the world's largest election, comprising 497 million men and 471 million women.
• There are more than 2,500 parties in the country's political landscape, 10 of which hold 86% of the seats in the Lok Sabha, India's lower house.
• To win a majority in parliament, a party or coalition needs at least 272 seats out of 543 in the Lok Sabha.
• Voting is underway in 21 states for 102 parliamentary constituencies. The election spans six weeks and is conducted in seven phases, starting on April 19 and ending on June 1. The results will be announced on June 4.
• Each of the seven phases involves single-day voting across several constituencies in multiple states.
• India has been using electronic voting machines since 2000 to record votes.
• The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Modi, and its main competitor, the Indian National Congress, led by Rahul Gandhi, are the two main rival parties. In 2019, BJP won 303 seats, while Congress secured only 52.
• The opposition has organized itself under a coalition called INDIA, although the group is marred by ideological differences and has not named a prime ministerial candidate.

India's main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, called upon people to vote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

Writing in Hindi, Congress said: "Your one vote can put an end to inflation, unemployment, hatred and injustice," adding: "Make sure to vote."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is 73 years old and took office with his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after 2014's election. Along with its partners it expanded its majority in 2019's vote. 

Modi's tenure has coincided with India, now the world's most populous country, developing rapidly economically and also gaining influence on the global stage.

In overall terms, India is now the fifth largest economy in the world. While per capita wealth remains much more modest in global league tables, it too has risen sharply during Modi's tenure.

Modi has achieved staying in power by making Hindu nationalism acceptable to a nation that prided itself on pluralism and secularism. 

His government has put the country's majority Hindu faith in the spotlight, for instance with the recent contentious Ram Temple inauguration at the former site of a mosque. 

A recent Pew Research Group study pointed to very high approval ratings for Modi, roughly 80% positive and 55% very positive.

Polls opened at 7 a.m. local time (0130 GMT/UTC) on Friday, with seats in 21 states and Union territories around the country up for grabs in the first of seven phases of voting. 

In all, 102 constituencies of the 545 in the Lok Sabha parliament are participating on Friday. 

Queues formed before the polling stations opened at some sites. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to social media to appeal for record turnout. 

"I especially appeal to young and first-time voters to vote in large numbers," he wrote. "After all, every vote counts and every voice matters!" 

The election will determine the composition of the 18th Lok Sabha or the lower house of parliament.

There are 543 contested seats, with two other seats nominated by the country's president. To rule, a party or a coalition needs a simple majority of 272 seats.

Whichever party or coalition wins the majority will lead the government and choose the next prime minister.

Votes are counted on a first-past-the-post basis like Britain's or that of the US. In each voting district, the candidate with the most votes claims the seat.

This means the share of the popular vote nationwide is not represented in seat allocation and winning an outright majority is easier than in countries with proportional representation. 

Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 303 seats last time out in 2019, plus another 50 for its various alliance partners that make up the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). 

The largest opposition party, Congress, could only claim 52 seats. 

First polls opened for India's 2024 general election on Friday, with country gearing up for seven phases of voting over a six-week period to accommodate some 968 million eligible voters. 

There's more than 1 million polling stations set up around the world's most populous country and as many as 15 million poll workers will be involved in the giant democratic exercise.

Click here for all the core details you need to know ahead of the vote. 

According to most polls, incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the clear favorite for a third term, after landslide wins in 2014 and 2019.

Modi has been credited with taking India's economy to new heights and has promised to put India on track to become a developed country by 2047.

But critics say another term for the BJP could undermine India's status as a democratic nation, saying its 10 years in power has eroded the secular foundation of the country.

The last day of voting is scheduled for June 1 with counting and results expected on June 4. 

msh/rm (DW, AP, Reuters)