India begins to vote with the largest electorate in the world

As of April 11, the world's largest democracy has voted for the election of a new parliament which, in turn, will appoint the prime minister. India has a high unemployment rate, caste and sects divisions have intensified, the rural population is extremely anxious, and tensions with Pakistan have intensified recently. Nearly nine hundred million voters in the country have a lot to consider.

Below we present the highlights on the elections with the largest number of voters in history.

The ruling party, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has promoted a nationalist ideology with measures such as the promotion of the Hindu religion in textbooks and the intensification of hostilities with Muslims for sacred sites. The minorities in India say they are more and more afraid.

If Modi triumphs again, the experts expect the religious divisions of the country to become more pronounced. If the main opposition party wins, the Indian National Congress or the Congress Party, some expect the minorities to be better protected. However, this party also has a long history of corruption.

Nations around the world are watching closely. India is the second most populous country in the world after China and has good relations with Russia and the United States. US officials would like India to become a close military ally to help them keep an eye on China.

The Indian People's Party of Modi (the largest party in India) has dominated the government since 2014. The party is convinced that the country should have a stronger Indian identity and Modi is known for his emotional speeches and tactical brilliance.

The Indian National Congress has ruled the Asian country for most of its history after gaining independence. The leader of the center-left secular party is Rahul Gandhi, whose family has a long tradition in power, with his father, grandmother and great-grandfather having held the post of prime minister.

There are also five other national parties, twenty-six States Parties and more than two thousand smaller political parties registered for this year's elections.

The vote is divided into seven stages that will take place in five weeks, from April 11 to May 19. Voting will be conducted entirely electronically and votes will be counted on May 23. The count usually takes about two hours and the results are announced the same day.

Many Indians vote according to their caste or religion, although voters also change votes from party to party at each election. The turnout is high (almost 70% in previous elections) and the Indian electorate is famous for overthrowing the officials in office.

The Congress Party should triumph, with very negative results in 2014. However, the most recent polls predict that the coalition of parties led by the Indian People's Party could retain the majority in parliament, which would give it a very good chance. Modi to obtain a new five-year term as prime minister.

The magic number is 272 seats. The party that obtains them, alone or in coalition with others, will elect the next prime minister.

Centuries ago, Hindu scriptures, known as the caste system, established a strict social hierarchy based on hereditary occupation. In many places, especially in rural areas, these scriptures still have a great influence on everyday life, and politics is no exception.

Since independence in 1947, India has struggled to stop using caste as a weapon.

The constitution provides special protections for the pariah community, which occupies the lowest social category and represents between 15 and 20 percent of the population. The congress party has become the defender of the outcasts.

Among the higher castes, some positive action programs generated deep resentment, which Modi's party promised to resolve. Low caste Indians still worry about the frequency with which they are victims of hate crimes that are rarely punished by law.

In the last elections, the Indian People's Party managed to gain the support of some lower caste members: it won about 24% of the votes in the pariah community (it usually gets half). To a large extent, Modi won these votes because he proposed a Hindu vision of the world and promised to lead a transparent, corruption-free government dedicated to economic growth.

Muslims in India – about two hundred million, about 15% of the country's population – still exert a lot of influence. But the Hindu People's Party's policy is hindering many, so the Congress Party should get the majority of Muslims' votes. However, Congress Party politicians also do not want to badociate very openly with Muslims, lest they be accused of putting aside their Hindu beliefs.

* Copyright: c.2019 New York Times Press Service