India goes to the polls this Friday in a general election that Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi appears almost certain to win against a weak opposition. From the start of voting, Narendra Modi urged voters in the first phase of voting, numbering seven, to “exercise their right to vote in large numbers”, especially young people and those voting for the first time. “Every vote counts and every vote matters,” he added on the X social network.

In total, 968 million Indians were called to elect 543 members of the lower house, more than the total populations of the United States, the European Union and Russia combined. The election runs until June 1, with more than one million polling stations across the country. Ballots across the country will be counted on June 4. Results are usually announced on the same day.

Very good popularity ranking

Narendra Modi, 73, remains hugely popular after two terms in office, during which India increased its diplomatic clout and economic clout. A 2023 Pew survey shows that Narendra Modi is viewed favorably by nearly 80% of Indians. He has delivered two landslide wins to the Hindu Nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2014 and 2019 by leveraging the religious power of Hindu voters.

This year, he inaugurated a huge temple in the city of Ayodhya dedicated to the Hindu god Ram, built on the site of a centuries-old mosque destroyed by Hindu fanatics. The event eagerly awaited by activists benefited from extensive media coverage and public celebrations across India. Political analysts have given him a win against a coalition of opposition parties that is yet to name its candidate for the post of Prime Minister.

The opponent is in trouble

His prospects have been boosted by several criminal investigations into his opponents. The bank accounts of the Congress, which almost continuously ruled India from Independence until 2014, have been frozen since February by Indian tax authorities, following a dispute over income declarations dating back five years. “We don't have money to campaign, we can't support our candidates,” party leader Rahul Gandhi warned in March. “Our ability to contest elections has been damaged. »

Rahul Gandhi, 53, whose father, grandmother and great-grandfather were prime ministers in the Congress, accused the government of backsliding on democracy and condemned its appeal to India's majority religion, to the detriment of minority groups who fear for their fate. future, including India's 210 million Muslims. Narendra Modi's mandate is marked by a “pattern of repression aimed at undermining democracy and civic space”, condemned human rights association CIVICUS in a report on Wednesday.

Instrumentalization of justice

The coalition accused the Narendra Modi government of using justice to neutralize certain opposition leaders such as Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is currently detained. Under Narendra Modi's mandate, India has become the fifth largest economy in the world after Britain, a former colonial country. And Western countries are quickly looking to this potential ally to counter the increasing assertiveness of China, its arch rival in the region, despite warnings from human rights advocates about declining press freedom.

Since Narendra Modi came to power in 2014, India has fallen 21 places in the world press freedom rankings set by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), ranking 161st out of 180 countries.