India Commences Seven-Phase General Elections Amidst Religious Tensions

India's general election will be held over a period of seven weeks starting from April 19, as announced by the Election Commission. The election is expected to involve nearly 970 million voters, making it the largest democratic exercise in history. Narendra Modi is favored to win a third term as prime minister. The voting process will take place in multiple phases across various states of India and is being referred to as the "festival of democracy." The election will determine the composition of the 543-seat Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament. There have been reports of infighting and politically motivated legal investigations hampering Modi's campaign, but he remains a strong contender for re-election.