India in grip of election fever.
(New Delhi):India is in grip of election fever and election campaign of both major political parties have gained momentum
Rahul Gandhi who is the leader of main opposition congress party is gaining lost ground and electoral momentum and giving tough time to Modi after snatching power from Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party in three key states in December.
On May 23 India will unveil the election following six weeks of voting in a ballot that will determine whether PM Narendra Modi wins a second term as leader of the world’s largest democracy.
Around voters of 900 million — 84 million more than in 2014 will elect 543 lawmakers to the lower house of parliament, chief election commissioner Sunil Arora said. These Voting will run in seven phases from April 11 to May 19, and its counting will begin on May 23, Arora said in New Delh at a press conferencei on Sunday.
Poll Date Phase 1
April 11 Phase 2
April 18 Phase 3
April 23 Phase 4
April 29 Phase 5
May 6 Phase 6
May 12 Phase 7
May 19
States 20 13 14 9 7 7 8
Seats 91 97 115 71 51 59 59
Opinion polls show Modi, who secured the biggest and excellent electoral victory in three decades in 2014, may win the most seats but they fall short of a majority. The prime minister is battling a slide in popularity over rising concerns about the lack of job creation and rural distress, but some of the analyst of india said that the decision of targeting Pakistan could help the ruling party.
While the BJP won an absolute majority in 2014, but this success is unlikely to happen again, said Akhil Bery, South Asia analyst at Eurasia Group. “In December, the the state electio lost by BJP, halting the BJP’s momentum, and invigorating the opposition,” Bery said. “Despite those setbacks and an expected 20-plus percent loss of seats But BJP is still favourite to come into power, albeit in a coalition, with Prime Minister Modi at the head of the coalition.”
Daunting Logistics
Voting in India does not take place on a single day. Because of the daunting logistics of overseeing the world’s largest electorate — stretching from the Himalayas in the north to tropical jungles — the voting is stretched out over several weeks.
Number of constituencies: 543
Number of voters: 900 million
Polling stations: 1 million
Polling staff: 11 million
Modi’s Hindu nationalist BJP is counting on their welfare programs to attract and make more followers, including the toilets provision, connections of electricity and cooking gas for the poor as well as small business loans, annual income support for farmers and lower taxes for the middle-class. BJP leaders also has the policy focusing on religious nationalism, including protection of cows — considered sacred by India’s majority Hindu population.
Congress will pledge a one-time farm loan write off, minimum income guarantee to the poor and blame his government for alleged corruption in a defense contract.
State polls will also be held simultaneously with the general election for Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, Arora said. Security constraints mean there will be o election of state assembly in india occupied Jammu and Kashmir for now, he said.
“India’s current government and PM Narendra Modi has engaged in charasmatic and presedentials politics, with a weaker performance on policies,” said Neelanjan Sircar, assistant professor at the Ashoka University and visiting senior fellow at the Centre for Policy Research. “This upcoming election will also tell us a lot about how Indians assess the trade off between Modi’s charisma and also the government’s economic performance.”
