Mammoth voting begins in India with Modi expected to stay in power
With almost 900-million people are eligible to vote, the election is spread over 39 days, with the final phase on May 19
Muzaffarnagar — Indians began voting in the first phase of a mammoth general election on Thursday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a second term after campaigning strongly on his national security record following a flare-up in tensions with Pakistan. Reuters reporters saw long queues outside many polling stations. The Indian election commission said voters were turning out in large numbers in an eastern district where Maoist insurgents were blamed for a bomb attack on Tuesday, which killed a state legislator from Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and four security officials. Two people were also killed on Tuesday in Jammu and Kashmir, the country’s only Muslim majority state, prompting authorities to increase security even further. Shadab Ali, a first-time voter in the volatile Muzaffarnagar constituency in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, queued with a group of friends at a polling station set up in a primary school. Hindu-Muslim riots there kille...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.