Indian Lok Sabha elections kick off amid growing polarization

By Lisa Zengarini

Millions of Indians began voting on Friday in the world largest elections, with incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a historic third term in office.

Nearly 970 million voters - more than 10 per cent of the world's population - will elect 543 members of the lower house of Parliament, the Lok Sabha, for five years, with polling taking place in seven phases over the next six weeks.  The first round of voting is being held across 21 of India’s 28 states and 8 territories. The polls will run until June 1 and the votes will be counted on June 4.

Modi's ten years in power

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, leader of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) who has ruled the country for the past ten years, is largely expected to win the vote against a broad opposition alliance led by the Indian National Congress and regional parties. His powerful right-wing party aims for an outright majority and a mandate to widen India’s development and Hindu-nationalist policies.

Modi’s 10-years tenure has been marked by infrastructure projects, fervent Hindu nationalism, rapid economic expansion and an increasing presence on the world stage for the country of 1.4 billion people. The BJP’s electoral campaign has focused on job creation, anti-poverty programmes and national development. Modi says he wants to turn the country into a global manufacturing hub, continue its massive infrastructure transformation, and achieve energy independence by 2047.  On the world stage, the BJP leader wants India to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, will push to bid for the 2036 Summer Olympics and aims to land an astronaut on the moon.

World's fastest-growing economy

But while India's economy is among the world's fastest-growing, many of its people face increasing economic distress, with high unemployment, inflation, corruption and low agricultural prices that have driven two years of farmers' protests.  Critics also accuse Modi of fueling religious polarization, especially against Muslims, moving away from India’s secular foundation. They say he has turned increasingly illiberal, warning that he could use a third term to undermine India's democracy.

The opposing INDIA alliance

Challenging the BJP is the main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, and its newly formed Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). But the once-leading political force in India has lost its influence since Modi came to power in 2014, and the INDIA coalition is already starting to show internal divisions.

The Congress party’s campaign  has promised “freedom from fear” and is wowing to protect democratic values such as freedom of speech, expression and religious belief enshrined in the Indian secular Constitution. Its manifesto also emphasizes justice, equity and welfare, promising protection of religious minorities, and safety and empowerment of women, amongst other pledges.

Churches encouraging Christians to vote 

In the past weeks Church leaders in India have urged Christians to cast their ballots in large numbers, saying that the country is at a “pivotal moment”.

 “Our vote is not just a symbol; it is a powerful tool for growth and good governance,” said a joint statement issued by the National United Christian Forum (NUCF), which includes the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI), the National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) and the Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI).

The statement, signed by CBCI Secretary General Archbishop Anil J T Couto, NCCI General Secretary Rev Asir Ebenezer, and EFI General Secretary Rev Asir Ebenezer, remarked that the polls will provide Indians with an "opportunity to elect representatives who will uphold the Constitutional principles of equality, justice, liberty, fraternity and prosperity for all citizens and the affirmation of plurality and secularism.” This , they said , requires “fighting class divisions because everyone must be equal and benefit from the same opportunities regardless of "caste, class, creed, ethnicity and gender".

(Source: news agencies)