In the fourth round of voting in the parliamentary election, which spans 96 constituencies across ten states and union territories, millions of Indians started casting their ballots today.
Today, under heavy security, the Muslim-majority region of Jammu and Kashmir will cast ballots in a general election for the first time since Article 370 was revoked and the region was dissolved as a state in August 2019.
In the fourth phase of the 2024 election cycle, which has 1,92,000 polling places, 17.7 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballots. This is the second-largest phase in terms of the number of constituencies after the first round, which had 102 constituencies cast ballots on April 19, according to media reports.
Phase four will see the conclusion of voting in 379 of the 543 Lok Sabha (central assembly) seats.
In the election that will put his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against a coalition of more than two dozen opposition groups, including chief opponent Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is vying for a rare third term in office.
With promises of social welfare programs, development, and Hindu nationalism, Modi is attempting to win over voters. The opposition claims to be offering lakhs of jobs, cash assistance, and inflation control.
Voter tallying is set for June 4, following the seventh and final round of voting on June 1.
