Politics & News

India’s 2024 Election: Growing Concerns over Southern States Opposition

Voting started on April 19 in the first and largest phase of India’s election 2024, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is widely anticipated to secure a third term.

India has a parliamentary system of governance which means that the winning party will hold a majority of the 543 seats in the lower house of the Parliament. About 969 million people are eligible to vote. The polling process will take place in seven phases over the next six weeks.

Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party holds a strong majority inside the Parliament with a majority of 352 seats.

 

India’s 2024 Election: Growing Concerns Over Southern States Opposition
Supporters of India’s opposition party, Indian National Congress (INC) during the election campaign.

However, there is an opponent for the BJP which is expected to secure more votes in the southern states. The opposition alliance led by the Indian National Congress poses a threat to the BJP.

After he was defeated in 2019 elections, Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi is running in the Wayanad constituency in the southern state of Kerala for the second time.

Before the launch of the elections, all opposition parties strived to unite as one party, fueled by growing concerns that a third term for Modi would further marginalize them, especially that Modi has jailed many opposition party leaders.

The second round of multi-phase national elections started on Friday April 26, with approximately 60.96% of 160 million eligible voters exercised their right to cast their ballot.

 

These elections have raised criticism to Modi, an assertive Hindu nationalist, who is ruling India since 2014. Some critics believe that he is threatening the country’s traditions and secularism. They even accuse him of strengthening religious intolerance and violence and other accusations that were denied by the party.

Modi has sparked a major controversy when he stated that if the Congress party was elected, it would distribute the country’s wealth among “infiltrators” and “those who have more children,” in an apparent remark to the Muslim community.

Hindus constitute 80% of India’s population, while Muslims represent 14% and Christians and Sikhs 2% each.

CNN reported that many Muslims said that they can no longer accept being marginalized by the current government and voted for the opposition.

Related Topics:

Deepfakes and AI Tools: Threat to India’s Election

India’s Elections Start Friday- CNN

India to Hold World’s Largest Elections in 7 Phases from April

 

 

 

 

Short link :

Related Stories

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button