India elections 2024: What we learned this week

Two phases of India's elections are over, and the third phase will take place on Tuesday (7 May), but still, we are not even halfway through the world's biggest polls which began on 19 April.

Not only has the contest between the prime minister Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition intensified, but controversies are also rising with every passing week.

The voting percentage in the first two phases has been down when compared with the last Lok Sabha (lower house of parliament) elections in 2019 as the country is hit by a scorching heatwave.

Close to a billion people are eligible to take part in India's election, with the final round of voting of the seven-phase election on June 1 and the counting of votes on June 4.

While Modi is seeking a record-equalling third straight term, the opposition’s INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) bloc is trying their best to stop BJP’s winning run.

Here’s a look at the key election developments this week:

Amit Shah's doctored video

Police in Gujarat state arrested two opposition leaders, while Delhi Police issued notices to 12 more people from different parties after a doctored video of home minister Amit Shah was circulated online.

In total, 17 people, including Telangana chief minister and Congress leader Revanth Reddy, have been issued notices to appear before the Delhi Police’s investigation officer (IO) in connection with the case, reported PTI.

India's home minister Amit Shah speaking at poll rally. (Photo: Getty Images)

Police had filed a complaint after the video of Amit Shah, where his statements indicating a commitment to abolish quotas for Muslims on religious grounds in Telangana, were doctored to make it seem that he was advocating scrapping of all reservations.

The BJP stepped up its attack on opposition INDIA bloc parties, saying that their senior leaders were now posting fake videos as their frustration and depression have reached a new level over the prospect of the BJP alliance crossing 400 seats in the polls.

Political storm after MP’s sex abuse videos leaked

Prajwal Revanna, a member of parliament from Hassan in the southern state of Karnataka, is facing a political storm after the leak of explicit videos allegedly showing him sexually assaulting multiple women.

The 33-year-old belongs to a prominent political family that runs a regional political party – Janata Dal Secular (JDS). His grandfather, HD Deve Gowda, was the former prime minister and the chief minister of Karnataka state, while his uncle, HD Kumaraswamy, was also the state chief minister.

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate shows a photograph featuring JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna. (Photo: Getty Images)

Prajwal was chosen as the BJP-JD(S) joint candidate from the Hassan Lok Sabha constituency in Karnataka, where the voting was held on April 26. JD(S) had recently entered into a seat-sharing agreement with the BJP to contest some seats in Karnataka for the elections.

Nearly 3,000 explicit video clips allegedly involving Revanna sexually abusing several women have gone viral in Hassan in recent days.

Election Commission delays poll data

The opposition parties have criticised the Election Commission over the delay in publishing the final voter turnout figures for the first two phases of the Lok Sabha polls.

The commission on Wednesday (May 1) in the evening made public the voter turnout of the first and second phases of polling held on April 19 and April 26. The EC stated that a voter turnout of 66.14 per cent was recorded in phase one and 66.71 per cent in phase two of the polls.

Polling officials collect electronic voting machines from a secure location in Manipur state during the second Phase of voting on April 26. (Photo: Getty Images)

"Finally, ECI (Election Commission of India) has put out the final voter turnout figures for the first two phases which are substantially, not marginally as is normal, higher than the initial figures," Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said on X.

"But why are the absolute numbers of voters in each parliamentary constituency not put out? Percentages are meaningless unless this figure is known," he said.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Derek O'Brien on X said, "Important. Four days after phase two ends, Election Commission releases final voting figures. A bump up (jump in turnout) of 5.75 per cent from what EC released 4 days ago."

"Is this normal? What am I missing here?" he asked.

Wrestlers upset as BJP fields controversial leader's son

Indian wrestlers are expressing dismay over the BJP's decision to nominate the son of their former federation chief for national elections, despite his father facing allegations of sexual harassment from female wrestlers.

Last year, numerous Indian wrestlers demanded legal action against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a member of Modi's party, after accusations of sexual harassment and intimidation surfaced against him. Singh, who has refuted the allegations and is presently out on bail, faces a court case related to the charges. His son, Karan, is now contesting as a BJP candidate for his father's Kaiserganj constituency in Uttar Pradesh, a seat his father had previously won six times, according to Reuters.

Sakshi Malik, a bronze medallist at the 2016 Rio Olympics, voiced her discontent on X (formerly Twitter), stating, "Daughters of the country have lost, Brij Bhushan won. By giving an election ticket to his son, they have shattered the aspirations of the country's millions of daughters."

Rahul Gandhi to contest elections from family bastion

The Congress announced on Friday that Rahul Gandhi, its former president, will run for the general elections from the family bastion of Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh, in addition to his candidacy in Wayanad, Kerala.

This decision is anticipated to uplift the spirits of party members in a crucial state where the Congress has faced substantial setbacks against the BJP and regional contenders.

Rahul Gandhi addresses an election rally in Mandya district of Karnataka.

The seats of Raebareli and Amethi, adjacent to each other, have remained strongholds of the Gandhi family for generations, consistently electing Gandhis or their close associates since the 1950s, reported Reuters.

Earlier speculations suggested that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, aged 52, might enter the electoral arena and vie for the seat of Raebareli, while Rahul Gandhi, aged 53, would continue his candidacy in Amethi.

In India, candidates are permitted to contest multiple seats, but if they win in more than one constituency, they must retain only one.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"Pakistan is crying because the Congress is dying here. You all must have learnt that Pakistani leaders are now praying for the Congress. Pakistan is eager to make 'shehzada' (referring to Rahul Gandhi) the next prime minister. This is not surprising because we already know that the Congress is Pakistan's 'mureed' (disciple)," Modi said during an election rally.

Modi gestures as he addresses an election campaign rally in Mysuru in Karnataka. (Photo: Getty Images)

TRIVIA: The indelible ink

Indelible ink, composed of silver nitrate, marks voters' index fingers in India's elections since the 1950s. Typically purple, its stain resists washing. Applied by election officials, it prevents multiple voting, ensuring fairness.

While widely used internationally, India's ink remains a hallmark of its electoral integrity. Despite discussions on advancing technology, indelible ink remains a trusted tool in upholding democratic principles.

An official puts the indelible ink mark on the finger of a voter at a polling station in Karnataka. (Photo: Getty Images)

“Right from the prime minister to the most common person, everybody flashes their (marked) finger. From celebrities to film stars… (it has become) a mark of democracy that I think is synonymous with elections," said K Mohammed Irfan, managing director of Mysore Varnish and Paints Limited (MVPL), the state-owned company that exclusively makes and distributes the ink, liquid told CNN in an interview.

(With inputs from news agencies)