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India’s 2024 general elections will be held over six weeks from April 19 to June 1, making them the largest in world history.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third consecutive term, but opposition parties say Indians face the loss of many freedoms if he remains in power.
Which political parties are opposed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP?
The Diet elects the Prime Minister, who in turn selects the Cabinet.
In the 2019 elections, the BJP won 303 seats and its coalition partner, the National Democratic Alliance, won 352 seats overall.
The main challenge in 2024 comes from a coalition of political parties led by the main opposition party, the Indian National Congress.
The group’s leading politicians include Congress president Mallikarjun Kharji and brothers Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi (whose father is former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi).
Their mother, Sonia Gandhi, is a powerful opposition leader but is not expected to campaign as intensely as in 2019.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which rules Delhi, is part of a coalition government along with several important regional parties.
What are the key issues and why are Indian general elections important?
Mr. Modi could argue that India’s global standing has increased thanks to its economic growth and close ties with the United States, which wants India to be an ally against China.
He recently announced a generous welfare system that includes free grain for 800 million of India’s poorest people and a monthly stipend of 1,250 rupees ($16, £12) for women in low-income households. introduced.
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It also promises increased welfare payments for women, three million additional government jobs and more apprenticeships for university graduates.
He also vows to stop India’s “slide into autocracy.”
The Bharatiya Janata Party denies these claims, saying ethnic minorities have often faced discrimination and attacks and been forced to live as “second-class” citizens under Mr. Modi’s rule.
When is voting day? Why does it take so long to vote?
Voting will be held across India on seven polling days: April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1.
Results will be announced on June 4th.
Voting will be held at staggered intervals to allow security personnel to guard polling stations across the country.
Millions of electronic voting machines are used, allowing people to choose between candidates or choose “none of the above.”
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After people vote, they are marked with indelible ink so that they cannot vote again.
This ink stains your skin and nails purple when exposed to sunlight, lasts for about two weeks, and is nearly impossible to remove.
Who can vote in Sabah elections?
India is the world’s most populous country with 1.4 billion people, of which 969 million will be able to vote in this year’s elections, or about one in eight of the world’s population.
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There are 543 elected members of parliament, and an individual party or coalition needs at least 272 seats to form a majority.
Members of Congress are elected to five-year terms representing a single district, with the candidate receiving the most votes being the winner.
How will votes be collected across India?
India has an area of 1.3 million square miles (3.3 million square kilometers), and election rules stipulate that polling stations must be located near all human settlements.
