Indian General Elections Begin, Phase 1 Saw 4.6% Drop in Voters

The seven-phase Indian general elections, largest in the world, began on 19 Apr. In Phase 1, citizens voted in 102 constituencies. The voter turnout was 64% which was 4.6% less than Phase 1 of the previous general elections in 2019. Every state saw a downturn in voters, with 30 constituencies seeing a dip of 2% or more. Indian media is projecting summer heat as the main reason for lower turnout but numbers were low even in northern states, where the weather is pleasant. Low turnout generally indicates citizen apathy and diminishing faith in the electoral system. At his rally in Banswara in Rajasthan on 21 Apr, PM Narendra Modi desperately used the communal card by calling Muslims infiltrators. He also misquoted former PM Manmohan Singh and the INC manifesto. Meanwhile, six districts in eastern Nagaland reported zero vote to the state's lone seat. The no show followed a boycott and shutdown call by Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation over India's failure to fulfill its long-standing demand to create a separate zone with greater autonomy. The twenty Members of Legislative Assembly (MLA) of the region, including six from BJP, also did not vote. Manipur saw violence including gunfire and destruction of Electronic Voting Machines at a number of polling stations. A repoll has been called by the Election Commission. While nationwide the voter target is 75% to mark 75 years of independence, in Panjab where voting percentage in 2019 elections was 65%, the slogan is Is Vaar Satar Paar (this time above 70). Panjab votes in the seventh and last phase on 1 Jun.