India’s six-week election juggernaut resumed Friday, with millions of people lining up outside polling stations in parts of the country hit by a scorching heatwave.Friday will also see voting in the constituency of India’s most prominent opposition leader — Rahul Gandhi of the once-dominate Congress party.
The 53-year-old is fighting to retain his seat in the southern state of Kerala, a stronghold for opponents of Modi’s Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“It is the duty of every citizen to become a soldier of the constitution, step out of their homes today and vote to protect democracy,” he wrote on X.
Gandhi is the son, grandson and great-grandson of former prime ministers, but his Congress party has suffered two landslide defeats against Modi in the last two general elections.
Gandhi has been hamstrung by several criminal cases lodged against him by BJP members, including a conviction for criminal libel that saw him briefly disqualified from parliament last year.
The opposition alliance has accused Modi’s government of using law enforcement agencies to selectively target its leaders and undermine its campaign.
More than 968 million people are eligible to take part in India’s election, with the final round of voting on June 1 and results expected three days later.
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