India’s Modi braces for tough elections

Over 180 million voters in five states go to the polls, with results seen as crucial to gauge the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist BJP party ahead of general elections in 2024


Party in power
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) 
Indian National Congress
 
Uttarakhand (70 assembly seats)
Vote:Feb 14

Punjab (117 seats)
Feb 20

Uttar Pradesh (403 seats)      
Feb 10, 14, 20, 23, 27 Mar 3, 7

Delhi
INDIA

Goa (40 seats)
Feb 14

Manipur (60 seats)
Feb 22, Mar 3

Results declared Mar 10


High unemployment, soaring food costs and spread of Omicron variant pose risk to Modi’s election showing


KEY BATTLEGROUND
BJP losing ground in Uttar Pradesh. Loss, or only narrow victory in India’s most populous state could jeopardise Modi’s contentious labour reforms

        
Yogi Adityanath
BJP’s controversial chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, known for his unabashedly hardline rhetoric against Muslims, is up for re-election


Sources: Election Commission of India, Reuters, Bloomberg 
Pictures: Getty Images 
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