From April 19 to 1er June, nearly 970 million Indians ― or more than 10% of the world’s population ― will be able to vote in the general elections. This gigantic exercise, the largest in the world, will last 44 days before the results are announced on June 4.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third consecutive term. He will face a vast alliance of opposition parties who are struggling to challenge his power of attraction. Most polls predict that Mr. Modi’s Hindu nationalist party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, will score a comfortable victory, cementing him as one of the country’s most popular and influential leaders.
Why is it taking so long?
There are two main reasons: the vastness of India, the most populous country in the world, and the incredible level of logistics required to get every registered voter to vote.
Over the years, the length of the vote has varied. It took almost four months to complete voting in India’s first elections in 1951-52, after the country gained independence from British rule, and just four days in 1980. In 2019, voting lasted 39 days and this year’s elections are the second longest.
With 969 million registered voters, the size of India’s electorate is larger than the combined population of the European Union.
The election of the 543 members of the lower house of Parliament takes place in seven phases. India’s 28 states and eight federal territories will vote at different times. Each phase lasts one day, with the first beginning on April 19 and ending on April 1er June.
While some states will vote in one day, others may take longer. Uttar Pradesh, the largest state, the size of Brazil, with 200 million inhabitants, will vote for example during the seven days.
Every vote counts
The Election Commission of India, which oversees the poll, must ensure that a polling booth is available within two kilometers of each voter.
“Election officials have to travel very far to ensure that a single voter can exercise their right to vote,” recalled Chakshu Roy of PRS Legislative Research, an independent think tank.
Some 15 million poll workers and security agents will cross the country’s deserts and mountains ― sometimes by boat, on foot and even on horseback ― to try to reach every voter.
The task can be particularly difficult. In 2019, during India’s last elections, a team of poll workers traveled more than 300 miles over four days to ensure that a single voter from a hamlet in the remote state of Arunachal Pradesh, bordering China, can exercise his right.
In 2019, officials also traveled to a village high in the Himalayas to install a voting booth at an altitude of 4,650 meters, the highest polling station in the world.
This time again, polling stations will be set up in remote locations, including one inside a nature reserve in southern Kerala state and another in a shipping container in western Kerala. State of Gujarat.
Enhanced security
According to experts, security is one of the main reasons for holding elections in multiple phases in India.
Tens of thousands of members of federal security forces, who usually guard the borders, for example, are being released and deployed alongside state police to prevent violence and transport election officials and voting machines.
Deadly clashes involving supporters of rival political parties, notably in the state of West Bengal, in the east of the country, had marred previous elections. But this violence has decreased over the years, thanks to a reinforced security system, and the vote took place in relative calm.
“Look at the geography of the country… there are rivers, mountains, snow, jungles… think about the movements of the security forces. They will have to travel throughout the country, Rajiv Kumar, the chief election commissioner, explained on Saturday. We will do everything possible so that voters do not have to do this. »