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India Kicks Off the World’s Largest Elections This Week
**India kicks off the world’s largest democratic election** this week as close to one billion voters head to the polls to pick their next government and decide whether to hand Prime Minister Narendra Modi a third term in office. The 2024 general elections will pan out in seven phases over the next six weeks, starting April 19. (Original Article)
Quick Facts
- India’s economy has scaled to new heights under Modi’s rule, becoming the world’s fifth-largest economy with a GDP of $3.7 trillion.
- The two main contenders in the election are the BJP-led coalition known as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the opposition bloc known as the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).
- Unemployment and rising costs are the top concerns for voters, with 27% and 23% respectively citing them as primary concerns.
India’s meteoric rise under Modi’s rule has seen its economy grow 7.2% in fiscal 2022-2023, making it the fastest-growing economy in the world. The International Monetary Fund projects that India’s economy will continue to grow, with analysts expecting Modi’s Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party to secure another landslide victory. The elections will decide who fills the seats of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of India’s parliament, for the next five years. The Lok Sabha is the more powerful of the two houses of Parliament.
India has forged deeper ties with the West, and Modi’s reelection could further strengthen U.S.-India relations, positioning India as a “bulwark against China” according to Chietigj Bajpaee, senior research fellow for South Asia at Chatham House. The two main contenders in the election are the BJP-led coalition known as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the opposition bloc known as the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).
According to a survey, unemployment and rising costs are the top concerns for voters, with 27% and 23% respectively citing them as primary concerns. The election will be India’s biggest yet, with 968 million people registered to vote, including 48% women and 18 million first-time voters. The seven-phase election will last 44 days, and results will be released on June 4.
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