Op-Ed India's Elections: Why You Should Care

            India’s Elections: Why You Should Care

            With an electorate of over 800 million people, India is currently undergoing what is projected as the world’s biggest election in history. India’s next prime minister is set to face an array of economic issues such as a declining GDP, high unemployment, and soaring deficits, to foreign relations mishaps with the United States. The Indian National Congress, the current political party in power, is set up for its worst defeat since the country’s creation in 1947. Plagued with numerous corruption scandals costing the country billions of dollars, to notorious bureaucracy that has delayed much needed infrastructure projects to help excel economic growth, to policy paralysis at the central government, it seems that the Congress Party has little chance, if any, to remain in power. The opposition known as the Bharatiya Janata Party, a pro-Hindu nationalist party, is set take over the country’s government and elect controversial candidate Narendra Modi. Beginning just last week, the Indian elections are to continue till May 16^th in which the final results will be announced. As the world’s largest democracy votes for a new leader, here are several reasons why you take interest.

            Probably the biggest reason to pay any attention to India’s elections is the sheer numbers. With an eligible voting population of almost 815 million people, India’s electorate is more than that of the populations of both the United States and European Union. Since the last election in 2004, over a 100 million new voters, many of them who are under the age of 25, are now eligible to vote. As hundreds of millions of people are projected to vote in this election cycle, the Indian Election Commission has tasked 11 million people in over 930,000 polling stations to ensure that each and every vote is counted. As a significant portion of the population is illiterate, the electronic voting machines have made it easier for poor individuals to cast their ballot versus using the traditional paper and box method.

            A second reason to pay attention to the elections is the candidates. While the Congress Party has not officially nominated him, the party’s vice president, Rahul Gandhi, will most likely be named to the prime minister’s post if by a miracle, the party emerges as the winner. Often referred to as the heir of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, Rahul Gandhi is the son of the late Rajiv Gandhi, the grandson of Indira Gandhi, and the great grandson of Jawaharlal Nehru, all of whom have been prime minister.  Although idealistic about the country’s future, Rahul Gandhi is often criticized for his lack of accomplishments and experience in the public sector. As the Congress Party has ruled for 54 out of the 67 years of the nation’s history, the majority of Indians are now fed up with the current political system seeking a new alternative. That alternative is Narendra Modi, a four time consecutive elected chief minister of the state of Gujarat. Modi is credited for turning Gujarat from a backward state to an economic powerhouse whose GDP has far exceeded the nation’s average for over the past decade. While Mr. Modi’s accomplishments are admirable, his opponents continue to criticize his role during the 2002 religious riots ignited by Hindu and Muslim tensions. While he has been acquitted by the Supreme Court of India, many believe that Mr. Modi was responsible for the deadly riots that resulted in the deaths of over 1,000 people mostly Muslim. The United States has issued a ban on Mr. Modi since 2005; however, they are likely to revoke it if he is elected as the prime minister.

            Finally the role technology has played a critical role in this election. Many Indian politicians have taken to Facebook, Twitter, and Google Hangouts to interact with citizens specifically the youth. While the role of social media has only begun to take part in the Indian election process, one thing is clear: many more people have become more aware about the issues that face the country.

            As India is poised to increase its influence on global affairs, its potential of achieving its geopolitical interests begins at home. The decision to elect a secular liberal versus a religious nationalist will have implications not only for India but also for the rest of the world. With a population of over 1.2 billion, compromising of multiple ethnic communities, languages, and religions, India’s general elections will serve a starting point to determine its future in the 21^st century.