India’s Modi Urges People to Vote in Record Numbers in Poll

By Staff, Agencies

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged voters to turn out in record numbers and exercise their right to vote as the first phase of assembly elections in West Bengal and Assam began on Saturday.

Minutes after the polling began in the two states, PM Modi took to Twitter and urged young people to come out and vote in large numbers.

The first phase of polling on Saturday will decide the fate of 191 candidates vying for 30 assembly constituencies in West Bengal and 264 candidates vying for 47 seats in Assam.

In West Bengal, the ruling Trinamool Congress [TMC] is expected to face a tough fight from Bharatiya Janata Party [BJP] while the Congress-Left alliance is widely expected to finish a distant third. Meanwhile, in Assam, the BJP hopes to retain power.

The elections in the two states- Assam and Bengal, will be held in three-phase and eight-phase polls, respectively. The vote counting for the election-bound states will be done on 2 May.