Southern Asia region - The Indian election concludes, PM Modi anticipated to secure triumph.
India's parliamentary elections have finally wrapped up after six long weeks, but it will take a while before we know the results. The last voting stations shut down in the evening yesterday (local time), but the results are scheduled for June 4. Reports suggest that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will win a third term, continuing his reign for another five years. His party, the BJP, has been pursuing a strongly Hindu-nationalist agenda.
There are concerns that if re-elected, the BJP might try to amend the constitution to fortify their course.We'll see if they can solidify their majority in parliament for this purpose. If he succeeds, Modi will be the second prime minister in Indian history with a third term, following the footsteps of the country's first leader Jawaharlal Nehru.
Over the past six weeks, about a billion eligible voters mobilized to elect the composition of the over 500-seat lower house of the national parliament since mid-April. More than 8,000 contenders had registered for the mammoth process. The final polling stations in the bustling South Asian country closed on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. local time (14:00 CEST).
India is currently the fifth largest economic power.
During the campaign, Modi played up his strong leadership and highlighted the growth that captivates investors. His administrative tenure witnessed India soaring to become the fifth largest economic power. India also became the fourth country to attain the moon, and he's been pouring money into state-of-the-art infrastructure such as roads, rapid trains and airports. However, growth hasn't been evenly distributed and he faced criticism over high unemployment and inflation.
Modi, 73, and his team aim to increase their influence to transform India into a primarily Hindu state, representing 80% of the population. The remaining 200+ million Muslims and other religious minorities risk being marginalized. This is a stark contrast to Mahatma Gandhi, the founder of India, who once championed the separation of church and state, and called for harmony among different faiths.
The campaign was punctuated by a devastating heat wave. Temperatures shot up to 50°C in northern India and caused several heat strokes - even among election officials as local media disclosed, citing official data.
