India, with nearly a billion eligible voters, has begun the world’s largest election.
There are more than 2,500 political parties, but only 10 of them hold most of the seats in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament.
The main competition is expected to be between Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a few other parties.
The BJP, led by Modi, has been in power since 2014 and is known for its Hindu nationalist agenda.
Modi, seeking a third term, is popular for his economic policies and welfare measures. The main opposition is the Indian National Congress, the country’s oldest party, led by Rahul Gandhi.
Other significant parties include the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), known for its anti-corruption stance, and regional forces like the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC).
These elections will shape the political landscape of India for the coming years.
(Based on Reuters)