Women cast their ballot to vote at a polling station in the first phase of India’s general election in Kairana, Shamli district, in India’s Uttar Pradesh state on April 19, 2024.
Sajjad HUSSAIN / AFP
India began voting Friday in a six-week election with an all but assured victory for Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as a weakened opposition is pushed to the sidelines.
A total of 968 million people are eligible to take part in the world’s biggest vote — a staggering logistical exercise that critics say follows a concerted effort to delegitimise rivals.
A long and winding queue was patiently assembled outside a polling station in the Hindu holy city of Haridwar, on the banks of the Ganges river, even before the booths opened.
“I am here because I am happy about the direction the country is headed,” said autorickshaw driver Ganga Singh, 27.
“I will vote…
