Indian parliamentary elections are a miracle. Humungous, chaotic, and expensive. There are 970 million eligible voters, more than the population of Europe. The parties are going to spend an estimated $15 bn ( The US elections in 2020 cost $14 bn). The 543 seats will see voting spread over a month and a half.
On one side, there is Narendra Modi, PM for the last two terms. Three times CM and according to Pew surveys has some of the highest approvals in the world for a political leader. Leader of the Hindu nationalist BJP, he inspires passionate followers.
The opposition is helmed by Rahul Gandhi, whose family has been right at the forefront of Congress campaigns and leadership for almost 80 years - Motilal Nehru for a few years in 1920s, Jawahar Lal Nehru from 1935 to 1964 and then after a brief gap, Indira Gandhi from 1967 to 1984; followed by her son Rajeev Gandhi from 1984 to 1991, and Sonia Gandhi from 1996 to 2013 and then Rahul from 2014 onwards.
This is a long way just 75 years back with the first elections when India graduated from a feudal colonised society with princely states to a constitutional democracy. Jawahar Lal Nehru had to go around in all kinds of transport including elephants to explain what voting is to the Indian public then with a literacy rate under 20%( females 9%).
The campaigns are also full of wild allegations, hectic travel, angry debates on numerous WhatsApp groups, and constant speculation by all and sundry. This is in sharp contrast to the seriousness of the issue - the direction that India will take after 4 June since the parties have very contrasting approaches to how the republic should be.
