Indian Prime Minister Modi casts his vote as the mammoth election reaches the halfway mark

• Modi is seeking a rare third consecutive term.
• The Hindu nationalist party faces an alliance of two dozen parties.
• Modi is voting where BJP’s Amit Shah is running.

AHMEDABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi voted early as India held the third phase of a massive general election on Tuesday and claimed a strong turnout even as he warned of summer heat.

The world’s most populous nation began voting on April 19 in a seven-phase election in which nearly one billion people are eligible to vote, with ballots counted on June 4.

Modi is seeking a rare third consecutive term in a vote that pits the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against an alliance of more than a dozen opposition parties. Polls show he will win a comfortable majority.

“I call on all citizens to vote en masse and celebrate the day of democracy… To all those who are working in the heat, I urge you to take care of your health and drink enough water,” he said shortly after voting in the Gujarat state house.

Modi voted in the Gandhinagar constituency, where his number two, Home Minister Amit Shah, is the BJP candidate.

Dressed in saffron and white, Modi was surrounded by hundreds of supporters and party members, signing autographs and talking to children on his way to the polling booth.

He was received by the Shah as people beat drums and rang bells.

Modi’s campaign began by touting his economic record, welfare measures, national pride and personal popularity.

But he reversed course after the first phase of voting on April 19 and focused more on firing up the BJP’s Hindu base by attacking rivals as pro-Muslim, even as surveys say jobs and inflation are voters’ top concerns.

In an interview with the television station Times Now broadcast on Monday, Modi said he is not against Islam or Muslims and wants the community to think about their future development as they vote.

Tuesday’s vote covers 93 seats in 11 states and territories, with Gujarat and Maharashtra in the west and Karnataka in the south holding 50 seats. This will complete voting for 283 of the 543 elected seats in parliament.

In the 2019 election, the BJP won more than 70 of the 93 seats on Tuesday, but faces tougher contests this time as the main opposition Congress party has gained strength in Karnataka and a regional partner has split in Maharashtra.

Voter turnout of 66.14% and 66.71% respectively in the first two phases was marginally lower than the corresponding phases five years ago, with analysts blaming the summer heat and the lack of a single strong issue to motivate voters. voters.

The Election Commission has since stepped up a campaign to encourage people to vote while consulting with weather officials and health and disaster management agencies to deal with the impact of the heat on Tuesday’s vote.

“Weather conditions are forecast to be within normal limits,” it said in a statement on the eve of the vote, urging voters “to turn out in large numbers at polling stations and vote responsibly and with pride.”

It also drives voter awareness to increase turnout through messages and songs during Indian Premier League cricket matches, Facebook alerts, announcements at railway stations and flights, messages on train tickets, milk bags, at petrol stations and movies and songs in cinemas, among others.

Music app Spotify has created an “election playlist” to sway voters and celebrities are being used to make appeals through radio and TV ads, it said.