The 18th Indian parliamentary elections will be held from 19 April to 1 June, with the results set to be declared on 4 June. More than 950 million people will be eligible to vote in seven phases to elect 543 representatives, thus marking the world’s largest democratic exercise. As the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeks to maintain power for the third consecutive term, its main challenge comes from the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), a broad-church coalition of around 20 opposition parties led by the progressive Indian National Congress (INC). However, with some parties breaking away from the INDIA bloc ahead of the elections, the BJP, buoyed by Modi’s immense popularity, remains a favorite.1Ishadrita Lahiri, ‘Cracks in Indian opposition alliance against PM Modi ahead of elections,’ Al Jazeera, 29 January 2024
Over the coming weeks, ACLED will publish a series of reports analyzing some of the key drivers of political disorder in India and their impact on the elections.
The second report in ACLED’s India Special Election Series covering the parliamentary elections held from 19 April to 1 June focuses on the increased religious polarization as a driver for political violence across India.
Sectarian and ethnic tensions are rising in the run-up to the elections in India, as economic anxieties increase the pressure on the country’s caste and ethnicity-based affirmative action policies.
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