2024-04-14 22:25:11
With elections being held in 76 countries in this year’s ‘super election year,’ the largest election in terms of population begins on the 19th. This is the general election in India, the world’s most populous country and the leader of the ‘Global South’ (developing and emerging countries in the Southern Hemisphere).
In this election, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi (74)’s third consecutive term is at stake, the coalition government led by Prime Minister Modi’s People’s Party (BJP) is expected to win a landslide victory. Some predict that it will secure more than three-quarters of the seats in the lower house of parliament (Lok Sabha). If Prime Minister Modi succeeds in his re-election, he will become the first Prime Minister to serve three consecutive terms since the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
However, there are many voices both inside and outside India pointing out Prime Minister Modi’s mismanagement. Although he is leading rapid economic growth, there are serious concerns about the increasingly serious gap between rich and poor and youth unemployment. It is also pointed out that he advocates ‘Hindu priority’ and discriminates against Muslims, a minority class.
●A country that spends approximately 20 trillion won on elections
This general election, in which 543 Lok Sabha members are elected for a five-year term, has 969 million voters. That’s about 11% of the world’s population. Because there are so many voters, elections will be held over 44 days from the 19th of this month to June 1st. However, voting days are limited to 7 days: April 19th and 26th, May 7th, 13th, 20th, 25th, and June 1st. Even though all voting is conducted electronically, it is reported that approximately 15 million people are involved in election management.
According to local media, security agents also played a role in the long election period. This is because federal security forces guarding the Indian border will be deployed to the elections to prepare for any contingency. The election period has been lengthened to minimize the time they have to clear the border.
There are over 1.05 million polling places. This is because the Election Commission of India stipulates that “polling stations must be located within 2km of every voter.” This is why during the 2019 general election, a polling station was set up in Tashigang Village, located halfway up the Himalayan Mountains. This is the highest polling station in the world at 4650m above sea level, and a polling station will be set up here again.
For one voter, National Election Commission employees have to walk a rough road of about 40km. A village in Arunachal Pradesh, bordering China, is accessible only on foot, so to set up a polling station, you have to carry your own luggage. The New York Times (NYT) explained, “In India, the illiteracy rate is about 25%, so pictures symbolizing political parties are included on electronic ballots instead of letters.”
The cost of the election is also beyond imagination, and it is called “the most expensive election in the world” (US NYT). According to the New Delhi Media Research Center, which analyzed Indian political funding, each political party and candidate is estimated to spend $14.4 billion (approximately 19.944 trillion won) in this general election.
Prime Minister Modi is popular among the people
Based on recent opinion poll results, India TV and opinion polling company CNX predicted that the BJP coalition government would win 399 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats. Accordingly, there is speculation that Prime Minister Modi will be reappointed for a third consecutive term.
Prime Minister Modi has very high national popularity. He attributed this to the remarkable growth of the economy. Since coming to power, Prime Minister Modi has actively promoted the construction of various ports, roads, and other infrastructure, leading to a boom in the public and private sectors. Last year, the economic growth rate reached about 8% (estimated), and Korea surpassed the United Kingdom to claim the title of the world’s 5th largest economy. The Washington Post (WP) predicted, “By 2030, it will rise to third place, following China and the United States.”
The ‘Clean India’ policy, which provides clean toilets and tap water to every home, also captured public sentiment. According to the British Financial Times (FT), Prime Minister Modi has invested $90.9 billion in this policy alone since he came to power. As a result, he created over 100 million new toilets.
The problem is the growing gap between rich and poor. The World Inequality Database pointed out, “The number of billionaires in India has tripled over the past 10 years, but the median income is only $1,265 (about 1.7 million won).” NYT also said, “90% of Indians live with an income of less than $3,900 (about 5.4 million won) per year.”
Youth unemployment is also serious. According to the Center for Monitoring the Indian Economy (CMIE), an independent think tank, the unemployment rate among young people aged 20 to 24 in India reached 44.9% as of the end of last year.
Prime Minister Modi’s Hindu extremist tendencies are also pointed out as a problem. Last month, Prime Minister Modi implemented the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which does not grant citizenship to Muslim refugees, in order to rally Hindu voters. About 14% of India’s population (about 200 million people) are Muslims. This is why there are concerns, especially among the opposition parties, that “democracy is retreating.”
Reporter Lee Ki-wook [email protected]
2024-04-14 22:25:11