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DPA
New Delhi
Millions of Indians voted for legislative assemblies in two Indian states on Monday in what is being seen as a first test of Premier Narendra Modi’s popularity after the April-May general elections.
The polls took place in Maharashtra in western India and Haryana in the north where a total of 108 million people were eligible to vote.
Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party is looking for a second consecutive term in both states, months after its landslide victory in national polls.
The main opposition Congress party, yet to recover from its defeat in the national elections, is battling factionalism and rebellion by leaders in the states.
Poll surveys have predicted a clear BJP victory in Haryana as well as in Maharashtra, where it is in alliance with the Hindu right-wing Shiv Sena party.
Maharashtra, with India’s financial hub Mumbai as its capital, is a key state for political parties.
In their campaign, BJP leaders made nationalism a key plank by focusing on the government’s revoking the special constitutional status of disputed Kashmir region, a move that has received support from Indians who believe it would help integrate the troubled state with India.
But there is wide discontent as well as India is witnessing a slowdown in the economy, with GDP falling to a six-year low of 5 percent, a high unemployment rate and the agrarian crisis, issues that the opposition has seized.
Counting of votes is scheduled for Thursday and the results will be declared the same day.
New Delhi
Millions of Indians voted for legislative assemblies in two Indian states on Monday in what is being seen as a first test of Premier Narendra Modi’s popularity after the April-May general elections.
The polls took place in Maharashtra in western India and Haryana in the north where a total of 108 million people were eligible to vote.
Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party is looking for a second consecutive term in both states, months after its landslide victory in national polls.
The main opposition Congress party, yet to recover from its defeat in the national elections, is battling factionalism and rebellion by leaders in the states.
Poll surveys have predicted a clear BJP victory in Haryana as well as in Maharashtra, where it is in alliance with the Hindu right-wing Shiv Sena party.
Maharashtra, with India’s financial hub Mumbai as its capital, is a key state for political parties.
In their campaign, BJP leaders made nationalism a key plank by focusing on the government’s revoking the special constitutional status of disputed Kashmir region, a move that has received support from Indians who believe it would help integrate the troubled state with India.
But there is wide discontent as well as India is witnessing a slowdown in the economy, with GDP falling to a six-year low of 5 percent, a high unemployment rate and the agrarian crisis, issues that the opposition has seized.
Counting of votes is scheduled for Thursday and the results will be declared the same day.
