India grabs the world’s attention with the “one billion votes” elections

Abdullah Abu Deif (Cairo)

The legislative elections in India began on April 19 and will continue until June 1, when nearly one billion voters will go to the polls to cast their votes in the most populous democratic country in the world.
Indians vote to choose their representatives in Parliament, which holds ballots to choose its members once every 5 years, and these elections in particular acquire a different symbolism globally, especially with the huge number in a vast geographical scope of the largest country in the world in terms of population. Upmanyu Basu, professor of political science at the Manav Rachna International Institute in India, explained that parliamentary elections are not just a national event, but rather a global spectacle due to the sheer size and complexity involved in making them successful, with a staggering 968 million registered voters, making them the largest. Democratic process in the world.
Obamanyo added, in a statement to Al-Ittihad, that the magnitude of these elections can be measured considering that they extend over a period of 44 days distributed in 7 stages throughout the country, starting on April 19 and ending on June 1, and voting will take place from all twenty-eight states and federal territories. The eight are scheduled and the results will be announced on June 4.
He pointed out that to manage this huge task, the Election Commission, a constitutionally empowered body, divides the districts into smaller voting areas in a way that ensures that each polling station does not accommodate more than 1,500 voters. This approach requires the establishment of 1.048 million polling stations across the country in Government sites, buildings and schools to maximize accessibility to the majority of voters.
Upmanio added that in some cases, voting takes place in the entire states and federal territories during one stage, but in larger states such as Uttar Pradesh, which has a population of more than 230 million people and elects 80 members of Parliament, the voting process takes place through multiple stages. According to the Indian political expert, every person over the age of 18 is allowed to vote regardless of class, religion or gender. This basic principle guarantees inclusiveness and participation in the electoral process, which reflects the essence of democracy.
In a related context, retired diplomat and director of an analyst based in Bengaluru, Professor Aftab Kamal Pasha, indicated in a statement to Al-Ittihad that elections in India are held every 5 years, and are held in several stages due to the enormous size of the country and the spread of eligible voters from Kashmir to Kerala. From the borders of China to the borders of Pakistan, which requires the deployment of security forces to maintain law and order. Aftab added: The current Prime Minister’s party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, is competing for most of the seats in various parts of the country, noting that the opposition parties are taking on major issues that are important to the Indian voter, including oil prices, inflation, unemployment, low farmers’ incomes, and the fight against corruption.