Nongriat, India, April 18 (Reuters): India was preparing on Thursday for the world’s largest general election, as polling officers clambered up hills, travelled deep into areas riven by violent insurgencies and crossed rivers to reach millions of voters across the sprawling nation. The first vote in the seven-phase election will be cast on Friday, with results set for June 4, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi looks set to win a historic third term in the face of a straggling opposition challenge. The Election Commission has to set up more than 1 million polling stations for the nearly two-month duration, with

More than 960 million Indians will head to the polls in the world’s biggest election between April 19 and early June. The ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), which is led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is seeking a third term in office. And the polls suggest it will achieve this objective. If one was to go by economic growth figures alone, the Modi government’s performance has been impressive. When Modi came to power in 2014, economic growth was sluggish. A series of high-profile corruption cases led to a loss of investor confidence in the Indian economy. But between 2014 and

Attacking the BJP, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday said those ruling the country are not worshippers of ”satya (truth) or ‘Maa Shakti’ but only of ‘satta’ (power)”. She was speaking during her first roadshow in Uttar Pradesh in support of the INDIA bloc candidate from Saharanpur Imran Masood, hours before the campaigning for the first phase of Lok Sabha elections came to an end. The roadshow covered a distance of about two kilometres in areas with a sizeable Muslim population. It started from the Jain Bagh area, passed through Raiwala, JBS Inter College, Kamboh Bridge and ended at

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday claimed that the BJP has given the ‘400 par’ slogan for the Lok Sabha polls as they want to ”change” the Constitution of the country and ”take away” the right to vote from people. Addressing an election rally here in support of Ruchi Veera, the SP candidate from Moradabad, Yadav said, ”If the government works as per the Constitution, no prejudice can be done against any community or group. But ever since the BJP has come to power, the government has not done justice with people.” Yadav recalled the protest by farmers against