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Report
India set to begin the world's largest general elections
FRANCE 24 English
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4/18/2024
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Transcript
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00:00
Things are certainly heating up here in India, both politically and otherwise,
00:06
because the world's biggest election has been scheduled somehow in the peak of a horrific Indian summer.
00:13
And like you said, starting tomorrow, for the next month, about a billion Indian voters will be eligible to vote in the next government.
00:19
And the man in the poll position, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is aiming for a historic, record-breaking, record-equalling third term,
00:28
a feat that has only been accomplished by one other prime minister in India's 77-year history,
00:35
and that is India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.
00:40
So, Prime Minister Modi's BJP is so confident of a victory that they're predicting a mammoth majority victory
00:49
of 370 seats in a 543-strong parliament.
00:55
But the opposition, though, the opposition says that this is a farcical election.
01:00
They believe it's not a level playing field, and they point out that many opposition party leaders
01:05
are actually fighting this election, or having to fight this election with one arm tied behind their back.
01:10
Many opposition party leaders have been threatened with arrest warrants, legal notices,
01:17
in connection with cases, both current cases and historic cases.
01:21
For example, at the start of this month, on the 5th of April, an arrest warrant was issued
01:27
for the chief minister of one of India's largest states, Bihar, in regards to a case,
01:32
an alleged defence arms dealing case, that goes back 30 years ago.
01:38
A few weeks before this general election, India's income tax department froze the bank accounts
01:45
of one of the leading opposition parties, the Grand Old Party of India, the Congress Party,
01:49
effectively leaving them cash-strapped as they go into a general election.
01:54
And last but not the least, the chief minister of the national capital, New Delhi,
01:59
where we're reporting out of right now, is currently in jail on the eve of a general election,
02:05
leaving the opposition party, the Aam Aadmi Party, effectively headless as they go into this general election.
02:11
So in a month from now, we should know which narrative the people of India have chosen to believe.
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