Voting kicked off in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat in the third phase of India’s election Tuesday, with campaigning becoming increasingly acrimonious between the two main parties.
Balloting will also take place in parts of Maharashtra, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and other regions in the latest round of India’s seven-phase election. Eleven states and territories in all go to the polls on Tuesday, with 93 seats in India’s lower house of parliament, the Lok Sabha, in contention.
Modi is seeking a historic third term in power, with his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) campaigning on India’s fast-growing economy and an assertive pro-Hindu agenda that critics say has marginalized Muslims and other minorities.