Sameera Casmod | sameerac@radioislam.co.za
26 April 2024 | 10:48 a.m. SAST
2-minute read

Image: The Times of India

The second phase of India’s parliamentary elections has commenced today in the southern states of Kerala and Karnataka.

Marking 74 years of India’s democracy, this year’s election is seen as a celebration of democracy. With 969 million eligible voters, organising the election is a mammoth task that is divided into seven stages, the first of which commenced on April 19, 2024.

Sanjay Kapoor, editor of Hard News Magazine, spoke to Radio Islam International from Delhi earlier this morning. He explains that India has developed specialised election machinery over the decades to accommodate the large number of voters.

Despite challenges, the country’s diverse population actively participates in the electoral process.

Regarding the performance of incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Kapoor noted the diverse opinions regarding Modi’s tenure, with some segments expressing satisfaction while others harbour misgivings. Despite Modi’s efforts to retain support, particularly through welfare policies, Kapoor suggested that securing a significant majority in the upcoming election might prove challenging for the BJP.

“There are a lot of misgivings about how Mr Modi has performed in the last 10 years. These are the issues which are coming up during the election campaign. Mr Modi has been using different tricks to ensure that this flock of people who voted for him in 2014 and 2019, by and large, remain intact. By the look of it, it is only working partially… There are states which are hostile to him. There are areas which are in favour of him.”

In terms of opposition parties, Kapoor analysed the leadership of Rahul Gandhi within the Indian National Congress. He acknowledged Gandhi’s resilience in the face of hostile circumstances, emphasising his efforts to raise key issues such as unemployment and inflation. However, Kapoor noted challenges in building the Congress party and gaining media recognition, highlighting the BJP’s continued criticism of Gandhi’s leadership.

“Rahul Gandhi’s leadership is under a very closed, microscopic watch in a certain way. And he’s also made to work in extremely hostile circumstances… Because there are two issues which are very, very, you know, people are talking about. One is a lack of employment and this other thing is inflation and also how the economy is… Mr Rahul Gandhi has tried to raise these issues and tried to incorporate all the promises that the party and the alliance could make in the manifesto. So he is getting traction, but he’s also got to contend for a very hostile government. And the media doesn’t want to give him any kind of space,” Kapoor noted.

The India Parliamentary election results are due to be announced no earlier than June 4, 2024.

Listen to the full interview on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Junaid Kharsany here.