New Delhi, May 13 (EFE).- Millions of Indian voters polled on Monday in the fourth phase of the protracted parliamentary elections, billed as the world’s largest democratic exercise involving nearly a billion voters.
The elections began on April 19, and now, after the fourth phase, over half of the 543 parliamentary constituencies have conducted voting to elect their lawmakers.
Voting stations opened in the morning in 10 regions, including the militancy-hit Kashmir, to elect 96 members of Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian parliament.
According to data from the election commission, 177 million people, out of a total of 969 million voters, were eligible to vote in the fourth round.
The main contenders are the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and a coalition of more than 20 opposition parties called the National Inclusive Alliance for the Development of India (INDIA), which includes the historic Indian National Congress.
The fourth phase included parts of the troubled India-administered Kashmir, which marked its first democratic exercise since the Modi government revoked its semi-autonomous status in August 2019.
«We have just voted because we believe in democracy,» Shariqa told EFE from outside a polling station.
Voter turnout in Kashmir reached nearly 15 percent within the first four hours of polling, which commenced at 7 am, said the poll regulator.
Although this turnout surpasses the previous Kashmir election, it remains the lowest among all Indian regions that voted on Monday.
An election official in Srinagar, the main city of the Muslim-majority region disputed between India and Pakistan, told EFE that there was a gradual increase in voters at polling centers as the day progressed.
The Srinagar parliamentary constituency has nearly 1.7 million voters.
The parliamentary elections, in which Prime Minister Modi is seeking a record third consecutive term in office, have been marked by a general decrease in turnout in the initial three phases.
The decline is partially linked to soaring temperatures in several areas, as weather conditions have emerged as a pivotal concern for election authorities.
However, the Election Commission of India (ECI) said there was no significant worry regarding weather conditions, citing the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD),
The forecast predicts «normal or below-normal temperatures (±2 degrees Celsius)» following the initial three phases, which witnessed temperatures exceeding 40 degrees.
The elections will conclude with the seventh phase on June 1 and counting of hundreds of millions of votes will be held on June 4. EFE
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