Around 970 million eligible voters are called to vote in more than a million polling stations. Polls predict a victory for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist party BJP.
The 73-year-old could rule for another five years after ten years in power. India is the most populous country in the world with 1.4 billion inhabitants. The election lasts six weeks and takes place in seven phases. The world's largest democracy has 36 states and federally administered territories. Under him, India became the fifth largest economic power, which attracts investors. Modi is investing heavily in modern infrastructure such as roads, express trains, and airports. The opposition complains that growth is not evenly distributed. It is said that the rich are being favored while unemployment is high and corruption is widespread. Critics accuse Modi of using authorities specifically to target the opposition. The Indian opposition has been busy with itself for a decade now and has no strategy for this election, says Elias Marini Schäfer from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in New Delhi.