Indians vote in big election dominated by jobs, Hindu pride and Modi By Reuters

By Krishn Kaushik, Praveen Paramasivam and YP Rajesh

KAIRANA/CHENNAI, India (Reuters) – The first of India's nearly one billion voters voted in the country's multi-day election on Friday, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks a rare third term based on issues such as growth , welfare and Hindu nationalism.

The vote pits Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against an alliance of two dozen opposition parties that are promising greater affirmative action and more donations while emphasizing what they call the need to save democratic institutions.

Nearly 970 million people are eligible to vote in the seven-phase exercise, the world's largest election, which runs from the peak of summer to June 1, with results set for June 4.

Election Commission figures after polls closed on the first day of voting on Friday estimated voter turnout at 60%, with the small northeastern state of Tripura topping the list at 80% and the northwestern state of Rajasthan at the top. final with 51%.

“Polls for the first phase…recorded high voter turnout despite the heat wave,” the panel said. “The percentage of votes is likely to increase when reports are obtained from all polling stations.”

Friday's vote covered 166 million voters in 102 electoral districts in 21 states and territories, from Tamil Nadu in the south to Arunachal Pradesh on the Himalayan border with China.

Opinion polls have suggested the BJP will easily win a majority, even as voters worry about unemployment, inflation and rural hardship in the world's most populous country and fastest-growing major economy.

“Modi will come back to power because, apart from the religious drive, his other work, in areas like security, is good,” said Abdul Sattar, 32, a Muslim voter in the city of Kairana, in the most populous state. of Uttar Pradesh.

Employment was the main concern of Mohammed Shabbir, another Muslim voter in Kairana. None of his eight children had a regular job, the 60-year-old driver said.

“Even Hindus are affected by lack of jobs,” he said, adding that the problem outweighs the appeal of Hindu nationalism in the Hindu-majority nation.

Hindu nationalism is a key election issue, especially after Modi's consecration of a large temple to Lord Ram in January at a site in Uttar Pradesh believed to be his birthplace, more than three decades after he a Hindu mob destroyed a 16th century mosque that had been standing. there, causing religious unrest throughout the country.

In 2019, the Supreme Court handed over the land to Hindus and ordered allotment of a separate land to Muslims to build a new mosque.

Critics accuse Modi's government and party of unfairly treating India's 200 million Muslim minorities to please his hardline Hindu base, a charge they both deny.

Modi aims to win 370 of parliament's 543 seats, up from 303 in 2019, hoping to win a two-thirds majority that some analysts and opposition members fear could allow his party to introduce far-reaching constitutional changes. .

STRONG PUSH FROM THE SOUTH

But in Tamil Nadu, one of India's most developed states where the BJP is weak, voters appeared divided over whether Modi's strong push this time would benefit his party.

“Modi has made India a peaceful country, especially for Hindus,” said S. Rajagopal, a three-wheeled taxi driver in the state capital of Chennai.

“The BJP may not increase its vote share in Tamil Nadu, but at the national level, Modi will win again without a doubt.”

However, V. Parasuraman, 55, a construction businessman, said the BJP had done little for Tamil Nadu, adding: “People here are educated and… will not be fooled by sugarcoated words.” of Modi”.

The BJP's campaign is focused on Modi's assurance to deliver on promises to voters.

“The country has made a decision,” Modi said at a campaign rally on Friday.

“After today's first vote, one thing is visible… the country wants a strong and stable government,” and voting for the opposition alliance “is like wasting your vote,” he said.

Campaigning continues during the electoral process for seats that are scheduled for voting in later phases.

Modi's victory would make him the second Indian prime minister to be elected three times in a row, after post-independence leader Jawaharlal Nehru.

WEAK AND FRAGMENTED OPPOSITION

Polls show a wide gap between the BJP and the opposition, but political analyst Sandeep Shastri of research firm Lokniti Network said it was not “necessarily insurmountable”.

“Many voters say we make our decision about who to vote for during the campaign and many say we make it closer to voting day,” he said. “So there is also scope for campaigning to influence the nature of the verdict.”

But some BJP analysts and insiders say the party is worried about complacency or overconfidence among voters and party members, and needs to attract more people to vote.

However, the INDIA opposition alliance has struggled to forge unity. It has accused the government of hampering its efforts by arresting its leaders in corruption cases and making huge fiscal demands before the vote, a charge the government denies.

Rahul Gandhi, leader of the main opposition Congress party, said on Day x that the elections would decide the future of Indian democracy.

“Strengthen democracy by applying the balm of your vote to the wounds inflicted on the soul of the nation over the past 10 years…defeat hate,” he said Friday.