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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the voting in the third phase of the country’s election, amidst inflammatory campaign speeches attacking the Muslim minority and growing acrimony among rival parties.
As many as 93 constituencies went to the polls across 11 states, including Mr. Modi’s home state Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh.
Mr. Modi, seeking a third straight term, faces a weakened coalition of the main opposition Congress party and its regional allies.
The election, spanning seven phases over six weeks, aims to elect 543 members of the Lok Sabha. A party or coalition needs 272 seats for a majority. The previous election in 2019 saw Mr. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party win 303 seats and Congress just 52.
Nearly a billion people are eligible to vote in this election. Despite high temperatures, hundreds of thousands queued up at polling stations on Tuesday.
Mr. Modi cast his vote in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar constituency and encouraged high voter turnout.
Across India, there were reports of voter intimidation and assaults on polling agents, with complaints lodged with the Election Commission.
Opposition parties raised concerns about delayed release of polling data from the first two phases, alleging discrepancies.
The Election Commission of India is investigating hate speech allegations against Mr. Modi’s party for inflammatory remarks made on the campaign trail.
Analysts suggest the ruling party’s strategy to consolidate votes among the Hindu population is going to plan, despite criticism of divisive rhetoric.
The next phase of voting is on 13 May, as the nation eagerly anticipates the election results.