Final Stage of General Elections in India Held; Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi Eye Victory

The final stage of India's parliamentary elections was held on Saturday, June 1, with right-wing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his centrist leftist rival Rahul Gandhi both aiming for victory. According to Reuters, religion and economic issues, including unemployment, will play a decisive role in the outcome of the elections in India. The seven-phase elections, which saw around 970 million eligible voters, began about six weeks ago and concluded on Saturday with voting for the final 57 seats, including in Varanasi, Modi's constituency. Narendra Modi urged Indian citizens to participate maximally in the elections 'to make our democracy more vibrant and participatory together.' Although the nationalist BJP party led by Modi is expected to win this election and he is poised to become Prime Minister of India for a third time, the opposition coalition known as the 'National Comprehensive Development Alliance' led by the Congress Party and Rahul Gandhi may secure significant votes. The scorching heat in India these days has made voter participation difficult, and officials reported the deaths of dozens of election officials in the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh due to heatstroke. Both Modi and Gandhi have predicted that they will form the next government of India after a heavy defeat of the opposing side. Narendra Modi began his campaign focusing on his achievements over the past decade but soon shifted to attacks on the opposition coalition, accusing them of siding with India's 200 million Muslim minority. Reuters quoted analysts stating that Modi's change in tactics came after low participation from his supporters in the first phase of the elections, hoping to encourage them to engage more in subsequent phases. In contrast, the opposition's campaign has largely focused on what they call 'saving India from Modi's dictatorial rule.' The rise in unemployment and increasing class disparities in India are issues that Modi's opponents have emphasized.