India to hold world’s largest election in April with over a month of exercises

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party is expected to win more than the 272 seats needed to form a government, according to several opinion polls.

Experts also predict that the Bharatiya Janata Party is on track to win a third consecutive term.

Kranti Bhatini, equity strategist at Wealth Mills Securities, told CNBC: “Given the economic growth momentum in the domestic economy generated by Prime Minister Modi’s government and India’s growing image on the world stage, many I am confident that Mr. Modi will win again.”

Opposition parties have often claimed that electronic voting machines could be “hacked” to benefit the ruling BJP, a claim denied by the country’s election body.

In December, Mr. Modi’s party was accused by opposition members of plotting to seize power after suspending 141 members for disrupting parliamentary proceedings.

Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar appealed to voters at a press conference on Saturday to “maintain decorum and refrain from abusive language and personal attacks during campaigning.”

India’s economy has strengthened since Mr Modi won a second term in the 2019 general election, with Indian stock benchmarks hitting record highs. Both the Nifty 50 and BSE Sensex hit all-time highs this year after overtaking Hong Kong to become the world’s seventh-largest stock market in December.

International Monetary Fund Director-General Krishnamurthy Subramanian said in early March that India was “without a doubt” the fastest growing economy, expected to grow by 8% this year.

Improving relations with the US after Prime Minister Modi’s state visit in June has also boosted India’s attractiveness as an investment destination, with some companies looking to expand manufacturing in the South Asian nation as they diversify away from China. We want to expand our presence.