The largest and the most complex elections have started in India (Bharat). They commenced on 19 April and will continue until 1 June 2024 and will take place in seven phases. And this massive endeavour galvanised to elect 543 members of the Indian Parliament, the Lok Sabha. The votes will be counted, and the results will be declared live on 4 June 2024. Mark that day in your diary, I for one will have my masala chai ready, with lots of samosa and kachori to keep my strength up, and then of course, ladoos ready to celebrate the result which of course will be a third consecutive term for PM Modi.
Just so we all get a feel for the magnitude of what is now taking place in India, we are looking at some 970 million people who are eligible to vote. In practice I calculate around 650 million people will go to the ballot boxes based on previous voter turnout. Again, let me put this in context of our elections in the UK. In the British 2019 elections, around 32.5 million people voted. The election in India is twenty (20) times that of what we had in 2019. Just imagine, if you can, the sheer magnitude of the Indian elections, the logistics necessary to conduct them in a systematic and safe way, the number of voting booths required, the number of people required to manage the election, the level of security required, the list is endless. No matter which element you look to, it dwarfs all elections anywhere on this planet.
Now for even more data. Some 2600 political parties are registered to take part. More than 15 million workers will be deployed by the Indian Election Commission to oversee the elections. More than 1 million polling stations erected or set up to ensure all voters are within easy of casting that all important vote. The cost of conducting these elections? More than £10 billion.
This exercise in national voting is truly a testament to the greatest democracy in the world. I say so because there is nothing comparable anywhere on this planet.
Many left leaning western entities have en masse already started their spiteful attempts to undermine the Indian elections. The left, the socialists, the wokery, the appeasers of Islamists and Khalistanis, are all terrified of yet another term by PM Modi and his BJP party. The enemies of India have tried everything over the past decade to destroy PM Modi and India. All their attempts have failed since the Indian electorate has now become more knowledgeable. They differentiate the between the antics of INC (Congress) and their anti-India partners from around the world, and the BJP that has driven change and positive development right across the nation.
As PM Modi said, ‘It is a measure of your trust and support that we could take several historic and major decisions like implementation of GST, abrogation of Article 370, new law on Triple Talaq, Nari Shakti Vandan Act to enhance women's participation in the Parliament, the inauguration of a new Parliament building and strong steps against terrorism and Left-Wing Extremism’.
I can list all the datasets of developments and achievements of PM Modi, but that is not needed. Mainly because after 10 years of governance, I am confident that the people of India, the only voice that matters, will elect PM Modi for his third term. Not only that, but they will also elect him with an increased majority. Think about it, whilst the international norm for most governments is to lose votes and seats in consecutive elections, PM Modi has increased votes and seat share at each election.
Leaders of nations across the world all know that in PM Modi they face a phenomenon. He is more than just a force of nature; he has become the very essence of new Bharat. A champion of and for the ordinary person on the street.
Jai Hind.
