Indian PM votes in general election and trumpets national security
Modi casts his ballot in his home state of Gujarat in the third phase of the general election which started on April and ends in May
New Delhi/Kolkata/Kochi— Millions of Indians voted in the third and largest phase of a staggered general election on Tuesday, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi who cast his ballot in his home state of Gujarat and again underlined his focus on combating terrorism. In all, 188-million Indians are eligible to vote in 117 constituencies on Tuesday, across 15 states and federally controlled territories. India’s parliament has 545 members. More than half of those eligible had voted as of 4.30pm, the election commission said. In Gujarat, Modi met his mother early in the morning and then rode in an open jeep past hundreds of onlookers to cast his vote. “IED is a weapon of terrorism, and voter ID is a weapon of democracy,” he told reporters after voting, referring to improvised explosive devices and voter identification cards. “I believe the voter ID is much more powerful than an IED.” The general election, which has seven phases, began on April 11 and will end on May 19. Votes will b...
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