General Elections begin in India

On 19 April, India starts parliamentary elections, which will be held in seven stages over six weeks. The results of the voting will determine who will take 543 seats in the Lok Sabha (lower house). Among the favourites is the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

The party's leader is incumbent Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is seeking a third consecutive term. Opposing the BJP will be the I.N.D.I.A. alliance (The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance), which includes 28 national and regional parties. The alliance is based on the oldest party, the Indian National Congress (INC), which was founded by Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of the republic. This is reported by ANI, a partner of TV BRICS.

Narendra Modi on social media urged citizens to vote in the elections.

"The 2024 Lok Sabha elections commence today! As 102 seats across 21 states and UTs go to the polls, I urge all those voting in these seats to exercise their franchise in record numbers. I particularly call upon the young and first-time voters to vote in large numbers. After all, every vote counts and every voice matters!"

Narendra Modi Indian Prime Minister

The Election Commission of India stated that a total of 1.87 million polling stations have been set up and 18 million polling staff have been deployed. "The Election Commission of India has made all preparations to welcome voters to the biggest festival of democracy," the Election Commission said in a statement.

The Lok Sabha is the most powerful of the two houses of parliament. Whichever party or coalition wins a majority will lead the government and choose the next Prime Minister.